Separated
by Oblique Strategies
Summary: With Jak and Daxter away at war, Keira and Tess must wait for their return, and solve the new mysteries that appear within the walls of Haven City.
1. Azyma

**Welcome to my new story. This ties in with my previous double-story, Marooned/Haven's Last Mission, and gives an insight into life back in the city after our heroes depart on their fateful journey. This story need not be read after reading the first one I wrote, but I would advise reading it first if you have not already done so, depending on the sort of experience you want with this one. Keira is the main character, and this story will follow her life without Jak and Daxter around, and concern the final days of the war with the mysterious people of Idandi. Here commences the first chapter. Remember, to view the pictures, you must remove all of the quotation marks in the URL after copying and pasting it into your browser. ****Please enjoy, and feedback is much appreciated. **

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As the last units of the squadron disappeared over the mountains, and the mighty hum of their engines faded into silence, the tense life of Haven City continued, but now imbued with a more positive outlook on the future. What the people had seen was an immense display of force, which strengthened their confidence and faith in the Freedom League, the city's fighters who had defended them against an enigmatic foe for nearly a year. It was true that with the long stalemate in the war came a lacking in support for the forces. The people were bored and wanted the war to end, and wondered why it was taking so long. They wanted peace, which was something rarely experienced in Haven's history. The hope of being free from all hostile threats enticed them, and they impatiently headed towards its door, seeking an escape from this world of hate, only to find that the way was blocked by some other oppressor.

Now Torn had promised them results, and the sight of all of those bombers made those who doubted turn to face the truth. Not only had it been an expression of military prowess, but also a major piece of propaganda to ensure lasting support. Torn had by no means been unaware of the problems within the city walls as well as the ones lying beyond.

Soldiers were moving people out of the courtyard before the Freedom HQ building, keeping to their orders of protecting the civilians; they never knew when the next attack would come. Torn had left behind a few chosen commanders to manage the soldiers and give the orders while he was gone, and they now stood at the crowd's boundaries ensuring that Torn's big plan was executed properly.

After the crowds had cleared, one figure remained sitting by the fountain looking at the sky. It was Keira, and she remembered her last goodbye with Jak and Daxter, her life-long friends. She missed Jak most of all, and wished for more time to be with him, but his heroic status among the citizens and his constantly required aid for the city often tore them apart at the most inopportune moments. He always promised he'd make time for her, and did his very best to keep them.

She was not at all satisfied with this parting either. In truth, she was getting very bored with him always running off on missions all the time. She wished for the end of the war more than anybody so that at last he could get more free time for her.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a soldier walked up to her. "Miss, it's time to move on."

She took her gaze away from the sky. "Coming," she said, and moved away from the fountain.

As she left the area, the soldiers reconstructed the boundary around the HQ building, which had been kept off limits to citizens for their protection and for military business. This one time it had been opened for the farewell speech, which made the occasion even more prominent.

Keira walked through the streets alone, heading southwards and thinking about the past. She thought back to the moment when she finally met Jak for the first time in Haven City, when she finally threw back the curtains of her racing garage and saw him standing there with Daxter. But she hardly recognised him, and only realised it was him by the fact that Daxter was there with him.

The hardest two years of her life had ended that day. She remembered her arrival at Haven City all that time ago. She'd fallen down from the sky alone just inside the city walls; had she landed a few metres to the left, she would have been outside the city and separated from safety. From there, having spent a few days getting 'acquainted' with the local Krimzon Guards, she managed to make a living in the city at the stadium, studying and building modified zoomers for the people and the races, the very vehicles that were descended from her own original design. She'd tried to feel at home as much as she could, and had soon made enough money to buy and manage a house for herself nearby. At least she hadn't had to live in the slums; the stadium area was much better kept and reserved for the slightly more wealthy citizens of Haven. Unfortunately her home had now been reduced to ruins during Haven's civil war, but she had a second house now in the New Haven area of the city, which she shared with her father.

She somehow learned to enjoy her time spent there. She had a job, a good income, and a decent home. She even made a few friends too. But she still missed Jak and Daxter and her father, and had spent much of her spare time looking for them, researching the city's history for clues of the fate of their old village by the sea, and constructing the replica rift rider for the eventual journey back to the past. Her work was often interrupted by the always suspicious Krimzon Guards. They made everyone's lives a misery, and she was visited one day by a squad led by Erol, who grew a liking for her. He found out where she lived, and would wait around for her. When he learned of her role at the stadium, he began visiting her more and more. He was often there to keep her distracted while his men carried out the dirty work, both during the races and when he was on duty as the Krimzon Commander. She'd never got to know his true character until Jak revealed it, and even then she had trouble believing him. Erol had wooed her using various means and had gained her trust. Keira had begun to develop a soft spot for him and showed her appreciation by supporting him in the races, modifying and enhancing his vehicle so that it would go faster than the others. This was partially responsible for his success on the track. She didn't feel as if there was anything else for her to do. All she was missing from her enjoyable life was a partner, and even once considered settling down with him.

As time went on and Erol became more and more popular as a racer, Keira still did not know his true side and what he was doing to Jak in the fortress prison. Although she did notice a slight change about him around the time Jak escaped; she couldn't tell exactly what it was, but she could sense something was up. Within a few days she would learn why.

Keira then found herself torn between him and her old friend Jak, which would often lead to conflicts in opinions from both men. She could see the tension between them, and could hardly bear to watch their final race together. When she saw Erol crash into the eco barrels, she almost burst into tears. But she now knew what Jak was saying to be true, and could not believe how she could have been so blind. Before she could run to Jak though, he'd already fled the stadium and was being pursued by every Krimzon Guard in the city. At least she'd have some time to herself to think things through, and by the time she and Jak next met, she was ready to leave everything in Haven City behind and return to the past. She chose to forget any connection she ever shared with Erol, and right now this was the first time she'd ever thought about their old relationship again.

Her thoughts continued as she entered the port. Right now she felt the only place she could go was Daxter's pub. She felt closer to her friends there. Inside she was greeted by the familiar warm atmosphere as she walked in, and immediately felt a little better. The bar was busy today; obviously there were a lot of people celebrating the end of the war early. Many didn't notice her walk in.

Approaching the counter, Keira noticed that it was not Tess standing behind it like usual. Instead the drinks were being served by a girl with long straight black hair, a light complexion and a well-developed physique. She was about the same height as Keira, and possibly around the same age too.

The girl caught sight of Keira approaching, and since there was nobody else ordering drinks right now, turned her full attention to her.

**_[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart.""com/"art/Chapter-1-316448509]_**

"Hiya," she said, "Can I get you anything?"

"Just a glass of water please," answered Keira.

"Sure," said the girl, "Coming right up!" She got a glass from under the counter and proceeded to fill it from the tap.

"Who are you anyway?" asked Keira.

"Oh yeah, sorry, I'm Azyma," said the girl, "Tess and I were in the Underground together, and she's asked me to help out here while her Daxter's away."

"Ah right, I'm Keira. I'm a close friend of Jak and Daxter."

Azyma looked impressed as she handed over the glass of water. "Wow. What's it like being friends with the saviours of Haven City?"

"Is that what people are calling them now?" said Keira, laughing quietly and then taking a drink, "Anyway, they're just friends to me. I've known them since I was a child."

"So are you from the past too?" asked Azyma.

"Yeah," answered Keira, "I miss our old village sometimes."

"It was nice, huh?" asked Azyma, "Better than mine, I suppose. I've lived in the slums my whole life. It feels good to be out of there now and to be working a proper job."

"I used to work as a mechanic in the stadium," said Keira, "Now I help my father in the Freedom League."

Azyma laughed. "Ha! Your life's definitely more interesting than mine!"

"Anyway, where's Tess?" asked Keira, "I want to talk to her."

"Oh, she's in the back room, should be out shortly."

Just as she said that, Tess appeared and jumped onto a stool behind the counter.

"Hi sweetie!" she said, "How are you?"

"Not too bad," said Keira, "A bit depressed though."

"Aww, you miss Jak, huh? I know how you feel with Daxter gone too. But I see Azyma's been keeping you company."

Azyma winked and smiled sweetly, and started cleaning some of the used glasses left nearby.

"I just felt like coming here to be with you for a while," explained Keira, "You and I are in the same boat you know, so I thought..."

"Don't worry, I understand. You can have whatever you need, Keira, and don't you worry about paying for that drink."

"Thanks," said Keira, and took another sip. She felt at home here in the bar with the support of Tess. They spoke together a little more about their feelings, and found comfort in one another. Though they'd not really spoken very much in the past, the separation from a loved one brought them closer together.

Keira knew that she'd definitely pay frequent visits to the bar as long as Jak and Daxter were away, seeking whatever comfort she could find. But there was one other whom she could confide in: her father. He'd protected her all of her life, and the respect she held for his wisdom was immense.

"Thanks for the drink, Azyma," she said, "I've gotta talk to my father now."

"Alright," said Azyma, "It was nice meeting you."

"Don't forget, you're always welcome here," said Tess, "Be strong, sweetie."

"Thanks Tess, you too." Keira left the bar and headed outside, feeling much happier after talking with Tess and her new friend Azyma. But there was nobody who could provide better support than her father.

Upon returning to her home in New Haven, Samos was there. He was meditating in his special plant room, but Keira walked right in. She knew that her father hated having his meditations interrupted, but for her he held a special exception.

"Daddy?" she said quietly, and Samos opened an eye to see his daughter standing before him.

"My girl!" he said, and snapped out of his trance, "I know what you've come to talk about. Do not stress yourself. Jak will return within the next day."

"It feels like a long time for me," spoke Keira, and sat down next to him.

"You must endure your misfortunes in order to progress in life," said Samos, "That proverb carries more truth than people think. People seek indulgences and avoid hardship, but a life without hardship will only damage the soul. For if we lived a life wherein we experienced no ill fortune at all, our souls would become weak, and even those most trivial of tasks would become a mighty challenge."

Keira listened carefully. She understood what her father meant, but kept quiet.

"Jak has never let us down before," continued Samos, "I know he will succeed. The plants tell me that there is much more he has yet to do, but will not reveal any details."

These words boosted Keira's confidence.

"Besides, we've seen so little enemy activity these past few days, there can't be much left of them now."

Keira looked her father in the eyes and a smile slowly came to her face. "You're right, Daddy. I'm so tired of this war."

"Aren't we all? But we will succeed, I can feel it."

"Thanks for the support, Daddy," said Keira, and she gave her father a big hug.

"That's my girl! Just rest up and take it easy. We've all worked long and hard this past year."

That night, Keira sat in her room. Her bed was right by the window, and she left the curtains open so she could look at the night sky. She eagerly waited to see the headlights of the returning victorious cruisers heading to the Freedom HQ building, and tried all she could to avoid falling asleep.

But her conscience was against her, triggered by the advice of her father to stay calm and rest. She went to sleep without seeing any returning cruisers, but she knew they would arrive soon. Maybe she would wake up the next morning to see a city in celebration, hailing the victorious commanders of the Freedom League for destroying the enemy once and for all. She could only hope.


	2. Speculation

Keira was awoken the next morning by the sounds of a commotion outside. The sunlight beamed in through her window and illuminated her bed sheets, making it difficult to see. She threw them off onto the floor and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. She was still tired and just wanted to draw the curtains shut and go straight back to sleep again, but there was no chance with all that noise going on outside.

She got to her knees and peered out the window. On the streets below, right in front of her house, a massive crowd of people was filling the roads, and nobody could move. She looked left and right and could see the crowd extended down the streets both ways. Everyone in the entire city must have been there, and they were definitely drawn out by something important.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart.""com/"art/Chapter-2-318593507]**_

A Freedom trooper shot past Keira's window on a zoomer, speeding over the heads of those below and heading straight for the Freedom HQ building. Then she saw Samos, pushing and shoving his way through the throng with his walking stick in hand.

"Get out of my way! Let me through!" he was shouting, "I need to get to the HQ building!"

"Daddy!" Keira shouted from the window. Samos made no response and continued moving through the mass of people.

"Daddy!" Keira shouted again, louder this time. Samos looked up, as did a few others nearby who had heard her voice.

"Keira! Stay inside!" Samos ordered, "Don't come out! They need me at the Freedom Headquarters!"

Keira felt rejected by her father's commands, and watched as he disappeared from sight among the people (who were all much taller than he was, even with his log shoes on). But Keira felt a surge of defiance rush through her, and was by no means willing to do what her father told her right now. She wanted to know exactly what was happening.

Off the bed she leapt into the middle of the room, flung her door open and dashed downstairs, not even bothering to put on her dressing gown. She ran to the front door and tried to open it, but Samos had locked it on his way out. Keira had no choice but to head back upstairs and find her spare keys.

Having opened the door, she stood in the porch and beheld the huge crowd before her. People were so tightly packed together that there was hardly any space between them. Keira herself had little space around her, and she was right outside her front door. They were all slowly moving in the direction of the HQ building around the next few corners.

"Hey! What's happening?" she shouted, but nobody paid her any attention. She grew angry and shouted again. The people right in front of her noticed, but didn't have an answer. They had been just innocently passing by and had got caught up in the crowd, unable to break free.

Keira was frustrated and didn't know what to do. Samos was right; there was nothing for it but to stay inside, for the sake of safety if nothing else. But then she heard someone calling her name. Above the heads of those in the crowd she saw Tess waving for her attention. Keira called back and beckoned her over. Tess slowly drew closer, and then it was revealed that she was riding on the shoulder of Azyma. Keira helped pull them both out of the crowd and to the doorstep.

"Get inside!" she said, and without hesitation the three of them quickly jumped inside and shut the door behind them.

"Man, am I glad to be out of that!" said Azyma, catching her breath. Tess jumped down from her shoulder onto the floor.

Having locked the door again, Keira turned to her friends. "Are you guys alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, just a little shaken," answered Tess.

"So this is your house, huh?" said Azyma, "Nice place."

"Want a drink?" asked Keira.

"Please," answered Azyma, "I guess we're your customers now, huh? Just a glass of water for the both of us."

"Alright, go relax in the front room. I'll bring it in." Keira headed off to fetch the drinks while Tess and Azyma flopped onto a couch in the front room. Less than a minute later Keira returned to them with their drinks.

"Thanks," they both said.

Keira sat down on the couch opposite. "What's going on out there?"

Azyma explained. "I think the bombing fleet's back."

Keira's ears pricked up, she fell silent and listened intently.

"I saw something come over the mountains early this morning on my way to the bar," continued Azyma. "I couldn't quite see, but it definitely looked like some of our boys. They disappeared behind some buildings but I know they were going to land at the hangars. Then everyone began madly rushing around, spreading the word that our heroes had returned. I had to get to the bar and tell Tess."

Then Tess continued. "We locked up the bar and followed all the people heading north. Luckily it was before opening time anyway. But we got caught up in the crowd and soon we couldn't go anywhere. It's mad out there! It's just a huge mob. And where are the guards anyway? They're supposed to keep the order here!"

"We still haven't learned anything," said Azyma, "We still don't know if we've even won."

"Then we've got to find out!" said Keira.

"But how?" asked Tess, "We can't use the streets."

"Quick, to the roof!" said Keira, and they all immediately raced up the stairs to the top floor. Once there, they pulled down a ladder from the ceiling, climbed up it to open a hatch and came out on top of the building. It was a place where Keira would often come to relax on a nice day, and Samos also had a small garden growing up there. Looking around, a few of the neighbours had the same idea and were already at the balconies looking down to the streets.

The three girls moved to their own balcony, and looked towards the Freedom HQ building towering above all the others. From up here they could see further down the road, and noticed that the crowd had stopped moving entirely by now. Up ahead, the crowd stopped at the barriers surrounding the HQ building, and Freedom Guards were stationed there to try and keep the people back.

"Those poor people at the front must be getting crushed!" said Azyma.

Tess scrambled up a nearby metal pole to get an even higher view point, and Keira picked up the binoculars she kept up on the roof. Through them she could see the chaos at the front of the crowd. Everyone was eager for news of their army, and some were even trying to climb over the barrier. But the guards were not letting them through, and were shouting and pointing their guns at anyone trying to climb over.

What was happening at the HQ building was clearly not ready for public awareness, and Keira got a sense there was something very wrong.

"Azyma, how many cruisers did you see coming back to the city earlier?" she asked.

"Not many," she answered, "Only about two dozen at the most."

"Whoa," said Tess, "We had, like, thousands."

"But where are the others?" asked Keira. That was a question that nobody on the roofs or in the streets, or possibly even in the HQ building, had an answer for.

Keira moved her line of sight through the binoculars from the front of the crowd to the hangars of the HQ building. They were definitely closed. Then she looked to the windows on the front of the building. She could see little of what was happening inside, but what she was really looking for were signs of Jak.

"Give me the binoculars, I want to see," said Azyma.

"Wait a minute," replied Keira, and continued checking the windows. She couldn't see anything of interest, and so passed the binoculars to Azyma. As she was looking through them, Keira spoke up to Tess. "Can you see anything from up there?"

"Probably not much more than you can," Tess answered, "I can't see any sign of any cruisers or bombers."

"Just what is going on over there?" Keira said to herself.

They spent the next few minutes on the roof before some guards down below began clearing people out of the streets. "Move along!" they were shouting over the noise of the crowd, "Get going! Stop clogging up the streets!"

When there was significantly more room on the roads, the girls decided that now was the time to get going.

"Now's our chance! Let's get over there!" said Keira.

"But Keira, you're still in your pyjamas!" said Tess.

In all the excitement, she'd completely forgotten she wasn't properly dressed. "Wait for me by the front door," she said, and disappeared down the ladder. Tess and Azyma went down too and closed the hatch, before heading straight downstairs. They didn't have to wait long; Keira was in and out of her room in less than a minute, and was still pulling her shirt on when she came down the stairs.

Together they left the house and moved hastily along the streets, not stopping until they reached the barrier. They looked over at the HQ building standing tall and proud before them, tantalisingly out of reach. They couldn't go any further. Although Keira was allowed inside the building unlike normal citizens, she didn't have clearance to enter by herself and had to be with her father. Since he'd left without her, she was stuck here.

Before long a guard passed by and noticed them hanging around for longer than usual.

"Can I help you ladies at all?" he asked, a little distracted by their presence.

"What's happening here exactly?" asked Keira, getting hopeful for answers.

"I shall tell you what I've told everyone else. There is important business being conducted in the HQ building for city officials only. Not even I know what they're talking about."

"But what about the cruisers everyone saw? Where are they?" persisted Keira.

"They're probably in the hangar," answered the guard honestly, "But that's all I know. I've been stationed here all morning since the night shift ended. I suggest you move on now; we don't want another crowd to form."

"Come on Keira," said Azyma, "Looks like we can't learn anything else yet. Let's go open the bar, we'll take you with us."

"Alright," said Keira, and walked away with them. She was a little disappointed that she didn't hear anything about Jak, but kept patient. She'd wait for her father to come home and then find out everything she wanted to know.

Down at the pub, a long queue had already formed outside the front door. Lots of patrons were waiting to get in, and they all perked up when they saw Tess and Azyma approaching.

"There you are!" said the man at the front, a frequent visitor, "I've been waiting here for ages. It's well past opening time!"

"Sorry guys," said Azyma, "But I'm sure you've noticed the chaos going on around here."

The man had a blank look on his face and said nothing. Then he looked around, and seeing nothing out of the ordinary happening in the vicinity, shrugged his shoulders. He was the kind of man who lived in his own little world, and cared little for everything else. Despite this, he was a good-natured and well-mannered individual.

Tess passed the keys to Azyma, who unlocked the front door and let everyone in, proceeding to behind the counter to start preparing drinks. Tess also lent a hand since there were so many people waiting.

Before long, everything was back to normal in the pub and everyone had a drink. Keira sat close by with her own drink, talking with her friends about the day's possible outcomes. It was also the main topic of discussion on everyone else's lips, and the whole place was alive with speculation and controversy. All manner of thoughts and opinions were shared that day, but it didn't matter what everyone thought because no official information had yet been released to the public.

After spending a good hour there, Keira decided to head home again. "I'll let you know as soon as I find anything," she said, "Take care."

When she got back to her house in New Haven, she found it was still empty; Samos had not returned yet. Whenever he went to the Freedom HQ by himself, he was often gone for at least half the day, but on this day, who knew how long he would be gone for? Keira guessed though that she'd have at least a few hours to herself. She locked the door and had a look around for any clues as to when her father would be back, or even what he was up to.

She started in his plant room, which was where he spent most of his spare time. But she didn't quite know exactly where to look first. The room was so full of greenery that nearly everything else was obscured. Even the floor had vines crawling across it. She began her search anyway, and often had to brush leaves and branches aside to see what was underneath. She was disappointed to find every time either soil or more plants.

But then she heard a beeping sound from across the room which made her jump, and she span around instantly. Whatever it was she'd heard, she could not see anything that would make a noise like that. For a few seconds there was silence, but then Keira received an even greater shock as a shower of cold water suddenly fell from the ceiling, and she bolted straight out of the room. It was the automatic sprinklers she'd helped her father install, and standing back in the hallway by the front door, she smacked herself in the face for being so stupid as to forget they were there. Now she was all wet.

After a dry-off and a clothes change, she continued looking, establishing there was nothing of interest being kept in the plant room. Very quickly she found her father's communicator, which had been left lying on a table in one of the back rooms. She must have walked past it at least once already without realising it was there, but she picked it up and looked through the recorded messages. She only found one, and played it back.

"Samos, get over to the Freedom HQ now! This is serious!" said the device, then the message ended.

"That doesn't help me much," said Keira, disappointed with the brevity of the message and its lack of solid details. She put it back down, making sure it was placed back exactly where she found it, and then returned to the front room.

Looking around, she remembered how difficult it was to get unwanted information out of her father. At times he could be really stubborn. She therefore decided to put an end to the search right then and there. She'd have to be patient and just sit back and wait for him to return.

The rest of the day Keira spent in her bedroom, mostly resting, reading and thinking. Occasionally her eyes flicked up to the window to check for signs of her father's return, but each time she did not see him. The Freedom HQ building still showed no signs of opening up, and nobody was seen to ever enter or leave.

The day wore on into the evening, then into the night, and still Keira waited patiently. She didn't turn on any lights, but just lay in her bed and read her book by the moonlight. The hours ticked by, and soon she found it hard to keep her eyes open. When Samos finally returned, he went upstairs to find his daughter asleep in her bed with a book in her hands. Carefully he drew the blankets over her and quietly left to go and sleep himself. He had had a stressful day.


	3. News

Keira opened her eyes. She was buried underneath her blankets with her book lying close by her arm, and she was still dressed in her clothes from yesterday. She reached up and pulled the bed sheets down so she could see. The curtains in her bedroom were still undrawn and the morning light shone in on her. She picked up the book and threw it aside onto the floor, and remembered the previous night when she had failed to stay awake long enough for her father to return home.

Upon remembering that, she tossed the blankets aside and rushed to her bedroom door. From there she headed downstairs to search for Samos; surely he was still here. He was not in the plant room or the front room, so she headed out the back. He wasn't there either.

From up on the top floor, Samos had heard his daughter charging around and moved down to find her. They met on the floor below as Keira had rushed up the stairs again.

"Daddy," she said, and finally knew she was going to get an answer for his actions, after waiting nearly a whole day. "What's happened?"

Samos drew a long breath. "Come with me Keira," he said, and led her into her bedroom. He motioned for her to sit down on the bed as he closed the door. Keira could see by the look in his eyes that something was troubling him.

Samos walked over and sat beside her. "I'll tell you everything that happened," he explained, "But be warned, you may find some of it quite shocking.

"I was summoned to Freedom HQ shortly after you woke up. Once there, I received news about the bombing squadron we dispatched to the enemy city. Shortly before I received the message from HQ, some cruisers had returned. They numbered only thirteen, and one bomber that was badly damaged. It turns out they were all that remained of our squadron."

Keira was indeed shocked to hear this, but she said nothing as her father continued.

"I went to see them in the hangar. The pilots were tired and shaken, and they told a dramatic story. They spoke of how they encountered an enemy defence force out over the ocean, less than an hour away from the target. A mighty battle ensued, during which many crafts both of ours and theirs were destroyed. They lost half of their bombing power before they'd even arrived. This last defensive move from our enemies tore straight through our forces. Though they were able to hold them off, by the time all of the enemy jets were destroyed, the squadron's power was not enough to destroy our enemies. They had no choice but to turn back, and those survivors were all that made it back here."

He paused, and Keira held her breath, hoping that he wouldn't say what she was dreading. Samos looked his daughter in the eyes and held her hand. He spoke slowly and reluctantly.

"Keira..." he said, "The survivors also said... that Jak's cruiser... was among those that didn't make it back."

Keira's face went pale, and for a long moment she saw and heard nothing. Then she returned to reality, and flung herself around her father in a tight embrace, sobbing loudly. Samos held her too, but could do little to alleviate her pain. He shed a tear of his own as well, for he had raised Jak ever since he was a small child back at Sandover. He'd been like a father to him, and likewise, Jak had become like a son to himself.

For a long time they sat together in the bedroom, locked together in a silent, mournful embrace, unwilling to ever let go. But they had to, because Samos had yet more to say.

"Keira," he said, "Listen to me. As bad as this seems, we cannot give up hope. Jak has survived much greater disasters than this, and I'm sure he's OK." For a moment they both remembered his return from the Wasteland after weeks of no contact. "I have already spoken to the plants on this matter, and they have told me to have hope. I know he's out there. The Freedom League has listed him as missing, not dead, and they're preparing a rescue team right now."

These words also gave Keira hope, and she finally moved out of the embrace. "Is there anything else?" she asked in between quiet sobs.

"Yes..." said Samos, "Torn and Ashelin are also missing. This means the city is without experienced leaders, so I am taking up a position of command until they are found."

To Keira, this meant even more time alone. With her father having to be constantly at work, her only companions would be Tess and Azyma. She'd have to go and see them again; she promised to let them know anything as soon as she found out. But right now she was in no condition to pay them a visit.

For all of the morning and most of the afternoon, Keira stayed at home with her father, trying to recover from the news she'd received. It was not that easy, but she knew she needed to have hope. What Samos had said about Jak was correct; he was a resilient man who had been through many hardships. If there was anyone who could make it back from the depths of uncertainty, it would be him.

At last, as evening drew near, Keira felt ready to visit the Naughty Ottsel. She noticed as she walked through the streets that many people were discussing the recent events and there were numerous new signs all over the city which bore the most recent updates. The information had already been released to the public, so it was most likely that Tess and Azyma already knew of the situation, but she still had to see them.

When she entered the pub, Keira could only see Azyma at the bar table. All the patrons were sitting in their seats discussing the news, and the whole room was a nest of murmurs and whispers. Azyma noticed Keira the moment she walked in, and waved her over.

"I heard the news, Keira," she said, "I'm really sorry."

"Thanks Azyma. Where's Tess?" asked Keira.

"She's in the back room, thinking things out. You might want to go speak with her. I assume that's why you're here."

"Yes," answered Keira, "Thanks." Then she went around the table, knocked on the door and entered.

"Tess? It's Keira."

Tess was sitting on the bed by the wall. She looked up at Keira, and it was clear she was still very upset. Keira rushed over and the two friends hugged tightly. She felt tears in her eyes again. No words were said but they each knew what the other was thinking.

Keira then tried to provide consolation. "You've got to be strong, OK? Just like you told me."

"I just hope Daxter's alright," said Tess.

"Daddy told me they've started a rescue mission. I know they'll find them."

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart.""com/"art/Chapter-3-320246507]**_

With Keira's company and reassurance, Tess was able to recover enough to return to running the bar with Azyma, who was glad to see her looking somewhat cheerful again. Keira stayed in the pub a little longer to provide support before leaving to see her father again. She met him just outside the front door, preparing to leave for Freedom HQ.

"Daddy, I want to come with you today," she said.

"Of course, my girl," Samos answered, and they set off together. The guards at the barrier recognised Samos and let him pass immediately, but halted Keira from following. "Let her through!" ordered Samos, "She's my daughter."

"Of course," said the guard, "Forgive me." Keira recognised his voice; it was the same guard who she'd met yesterday with Tess and Azyma. She could tell he recognised her as well, and he gave her a good look-over and a quick nod as she walked by.

Continuing inside, they boarded the lift and headed straight up into the main control room. There a group of commanders and other officials were waiting, and immediately saluted him when he entered.

"Ah," said one of the commanders, "Welcome back sir. We've..."

"Don't call me 'sir'!" snapped Samos, "And don't salute me! I hate being saluted."

"Oh, err, sorry si... I mean Samos," said the commander, dropping his arm, "Anyway, we've just finished building up the rescue team. They include some of the finest scouts we have, and two survivors from the last battle to guide them in."

"But are you sure it's safe to proceed with this mission?" asked Samos, walking forward, Keira following, "I don't want to waste any more good men's lives."

One of the men stepped forward. "I fought in that last battle, Samos. We wiped out all of the enemies that were there, and if they were their last defence like we think they were, I don't think they'll pose much of a threat anymore."

"But you can't just dismiss such an enemy like that," said Samos, "You must always be prepared. I'm sure they do have little strength left by now, but we mustn't be frivolous at a time like this. We know they are powerful. Where are the statistics?"

One of the scientists stepped forward. "As well as the frequency of recent attacks, we've also seen a reduction of their number and destructive efficiency. If they are running out of men by now, we must be close to victory. I've found an exponential trend that shows the drop in their forces, excluding the last battle. If that was a last ditch attempt at defence, then they must have close to nothing left. I can say with certainty that we have little to fear right now."

"Alright," said Samos, "I think then it's safe to declare the mission underway. How's that stolen teleporter technology research coming along?"

"It's almost done. Before long we should be able to implant a usable feature in all of our vehicles. We've done some test runs, and everything seems to be working fine."

"Right, we'll have to train our troops how to use it, of course," continued Samos, "But it should help speed up our rescue operation when it's ready. I think it will be a great help to our cause. But right now, let's dispatch our search party. Are they ready?"

"They're in the hangar awaiting the order, Samos," said one of the commanders.

"Good. Tell them to go now."

The commander spoke the order into his radio, and he received the acknowledgement from the team. Within a minute they heard the familiar sounds of the Hellcat engines roaring into life as they left the hangar and embarked on their hopeful endeavour.

"May they fly far and discover at least some clues as to our heroes' whereabouts," said the commander.

Keira standing behind Samos walked towards the computer radar monitor, and watched the blips on the screen move further away.

"Be careful what you say to inquisitive citizens on this matter," advised Samos, "We don't want to reduce the peoples' morale any more than it already has been."

Without moving her eyes away from the screen, Keira heard these words and wondered what she'd be allowed to tell Tess. She wanted to mention it right there, but couldn't summon up the courage. She felt a little out of place in there now, which was a great change to when she'd been in there before, especially when Jak was present too. She'd have to ask her father in private.

"This is my daughter Keira by the way," Samos then said, and Keira looked up quickly. "Some of you have met her before, but some of you haven't."

Keira waved at everyone and gave a polite smile.

"She has helped us here before, and she has great potential. But she is most generously gifted in mechanics; there isn't a single vehicle she can't fix!"

"Then perhaps she would care to help my crew and I in the hangar?" said the surviving soldier, "We could use her skills to fix the damaged cruisers, if she is willing."

"Sure," said Keira. She needed something to take her mind off the situation anyway.

"Good, I'll escort you there."

Keira and the commander left the room and descended together in the lift.

"I'm Vis by the way," he said on the way down.

"Nice to meet you, Vis," replied Keira, "Was that last battle really as chaotic as people say it was?"

"Oh boy," said Vis, "You don't know the half of it. Those jets just swamped us. Damn those bastards! I lost a lot of good and loyal friends out there."

"Did you see Jak at all?" asked Keira.

"Yeah, you should have seen him! All over them, he was! He took down more jets than the rest of us put together!"

Keira smiled. "Sure sounds like him."

Soon the doors of the lift opened and there before them was the hangar. It stretched onwards for what seemed like miles, and spare Hellcats and other cruisers were docked in bays along the walls for the full length of the building.

Keira was led down the hangar until on their left was a gap in the line of aircraft. This opened up into another section of the room where all the repair work was happening. Several men were already there, busy working on the cruisers that had made it back.

"Well, here we are," said Vis, "Guys, this is Keira, Samos' daughter. She's come to help us repair some of the vehicles."

The men looked up from their work and were immediately taken aback. "A girl‽" they said in surprise, "What does a girl know about engineering?" They all muttered to each other, and sneered at some shared joke.

"Hey, show some respect!" snapped Vis, "Samos says she's very skilled. Go on Keira, show 'em what you can do."

With the engineers still sniggering, Keira stepped towards the nearest cruiser.

"I wouldn't bother going anywhere near that one, babe!" shouted one of the men, "Not even our top mechanic can get that one working!"

Keira ignored him and continued regardless. She crouched down and took a look underneath it, and saw a long line of bullet holes perforating the whole length of the chassis. She was amazed how the pilot was able to survive, let alone fly it all the way back here for miles in this condition.

"Don't hurt yourself, sugar!" shouted another mechanic. All of his comrades chuckled and joined in with more mocking taunts. But Keira still didn't listen and crawled out from underneath the vehicle. She walked around to the other side and analysed a certain plate of metal.

"Ooh! I think she's found something!" mocked the engineers, "Looks like... the fuselage!" All the men burst into raucous laughter, absolutely relishing the moment. But a sly smile slowly spread across Keira's cheeks, and rather casually, she struck her fist onto the plate of metal with a hefty thump. Thereupon all the bullets dropped out of the holes they had made and tinkled onto the hangar floor. The room fell silent, and all the mechanics stared in amazement. Keira turned around, hands on her hips and with a 'beat that' look on her face. Someone dropped their wrench, and the sound echoed throughout the workshop. Across the room, Vis smiled. That had been his cruiser, and he knew how badly damaged it was.

"Well, I can see you're right at home here, Keira. Have fun with the rest of the boys." Then he left.

Late that night, over at the Naughty Ottsel, Tess and Azyma were locking up for the night. After dismissing the last drinkers and clearing up any last messes, they said their goodnights and as Tess locked up the building and headed for bed, Azyma made her way through the dark streets back to her home in the slums. Little did she know that she was being watched by an unseen figure in the shadows.


	4. Threat of the Shadow Walker

It was after dark, and Keira was still working on the damaged vehicles in the hangar. Only a few of the other mechanics remained; the rest had gone home. But they had left feeling envious towards their new co-worker. Their new _female _co-worker. She knew more than all of them combined, and had already highlighted their inexperience the moment she had arrived in the garage. Those that were left kept one eye on their tasks and the other on her, watching her work and easily solve the engineering problems that they had failed to complete. She was making the rest of them look bad, and for the majority of the time kept silent as she worked, not even so much as glancing at any of the others in the room.

As she crawled out from beneath the fifth vehicle she'd looked at that night, she suddenly realised what the time was. Grabbing a nearby towel, she began cleaning the grease off her fingers.

"I'd better head home now, guys," she said to the small group, "I might be back tomorrow. See ya!"

They stared at her back as she left the workshop, and when she was gone they all looked at each other.

"What a girl!" said one of them.

"Aww, you got a new girlfriend?" teased the one beside him.

"Shut up!" he said, and tossed an oily rag into his comrade's face. "I'm just saying, she's pretty good with the wrench. She's already fixed four Hellcats."

"Can you imagine what it would be like to have a girl around here all the time?" asked the second mechanic, "It would certainly make coming to work much more interesting!"

"You said it!" replied the first, "I'll bet there's a lot she could teach us."

His friend thumped him in the arm. "No you idiot! I mean she's hot!"

"How old do you think she is?" asked the third mechanic across the room, "Eighteen? Nineteen? She looks nearly half our age and already she surpasses our skills."

They continued discussing their thoughts and opinions long into the night, and completely neglected their jobs. At this rate, it was no wonder Keira had achieved more than they had.

When Keira exited through the doors, she bumped into Vis again.

"Oh, hey Vis," she chirped. She'd only known this guy for a few hours, but already she was beginning to like his personality, and was delighted to see him.

"Hey Keira," he said, "I've been looking for you. Your father's just left, but he asked me to give you this." He handed her a small device. "It's a pass that'll let you get in here. This means you're free to come back and work in the hangar whenever you like. We could always use an extra set of hands like yours."

Keira took the pass and smiled. "Thanks Vis," she said. This was good, because she no longer needed her father to gain her access to the building, and she had enjoyed her time working in the hangar; it felt great to return to her old passion.

They said their goodnights and parted ways. Keira headed home and met with her father.

"Thanks for the pass, Daddy," she said.

"No problem, my girl," said Samos, "How were things down in the hangar?"

"Not too bad. Some of those cruisers are really smashed up. It didn't really help that all the other guys down there had already made them slightly worse, but I showed those grease monkeys a thing or two about how to fix things properly."

"That's my girl!" said Samos, "Now get some sleep. You must be tired after all that work."

"Yeah, but first I need to call Tess and tell her the news. I can do that, right?"

"Of course, Keira," said Samos, "Some of our plans and information are not for public knowledge, but just tell her that the rescue team have set off."

"Have they actually found anything yet?" asked Keira hopefully.

"No, not yet," said Samos, "But we've got people at the radios day and night, ready to receive any transmissions."

"OK, thanks Daddy." Keira then headed upstairs to her bedroom, picked up her communicator and relayed the information to Tess down at the Naughty Ottsel. She too was preparing to go to bed, but had chosen to stay up a little later just in case she heard anything new on the situation. It turned out that she did, and she felt a little more confident now she knew the rescue effort was underway. They both went to bed feeling slightly better about themselves and their lost partners.

Meanwhile in the dark streets of the slums, Azyma was nearing her home. She looked around and could see little, but her path was illuminated by the burning barrels of wood and garbage that were at every corner. Most of the lights had received damage during the war, and there were now only a few that worked. And since the slums were the lowest quarter of the city, they did not receive much priority over repair work. But she didn't need the lights; she'd lived here all of her life and knew her way instinctively.

Just around the corner from her house, she heard a disturbance behind her. She turned around to look, but could see little in the darkness. Probably just a stray animal, she thought, and continued on her way. A shadow followed her in the gloom, avoiding the burning lights of the barrels.

Upon reaching her front door, she rummaged in her pockets for the keys. She heard another disturbance behind her, but this time it was a different sound. It was footsteps, and they were getting louder very quickly. Before she had time to react, something crashed into her back, and she was shoved forward face-first into the wall, and held there by large, cold hands, one against the side of her head, and the other tightly gripping her wrists behind her back so she couldn't struggle. Was she being mugged? Or worse? She tried to call out for help, but was pushed against the wall even harder, squeezing all the air from her lungs.

"Don't even try and shout!" whispered a dry voice in her ear. "If you do I'll knife you right now!"

This was it, she thought. She was being mugged, and she dared not speak.

"Now I know who you are," said the voice, "And you know who I am. Don't struggle, or you'll wish you hadn't." This was what changed her suspicions; she didn't know any criminals, or at least any she was aware of, but the voice did sound familiar. She listened on in fear as her attacker continued speaking.

"Don't think I haven't forgotten about you, oh no. You can't say anything now, not about what you did. I'd be careful if I were you, _very_ careful, or I may have to deal with you earlier than expected. Yeah, I've got plans for you, and unless you have a death wish, you'd best behave yourself."

Azyma tried to get a look at her attacker, but his hand held her face against the wall and she couldn't move her head. All she could see out of the corner of her eye was a black silhouette, tall and intimidating, and a set of metal teeth only dimly illuminated by the flickering embers in the fire barrel nearby. They came closer until they were almost touching her ear.

"Remember, I'll be watching you so don't try anything clever."

Then Azyma was forcefully thrown aside, and she fell with a yelp of pain. Her face scraped against the coarse texture of the wall, cutting her cheek open, and she landed on the ground next to the barrel. She rolled over quickly, but the man was already gone, disappeared into the night. Pressing a hand to her bleeding cheek, she hastily got back up and rushed inside her house, locking the door behind her.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart.""com/"art/Chapter-4-320862541]**_

Who had that been, and what had he been talking about? She thought back to anything that could have caused this, but her mind was whirling with dread from what had just happened to her, and she could not think straight.

After cleaning up her face, she looked in her mirror and grimaced. The cut on her cheek glistened red, and stung badly. But she'd done all she could about it, and had to get some sleep. She lay in bed in silent angst, keeping aware for any more disturbances. Just to be safe, she took a gun out of her drawer, and making sure it was loaded, went to sleep with it in her clutches.

Azyma left her house the next morning with caution. She opened her door slowly, and could see the streets were already busy with civilians going about their daily duties. Feeling safer in the crowd, she headed off to work with a little more confidence, but kept her eyes open for any suspicious strangers that may be following her. That man had said he'd be watching, whoever he was, but where was he? Was he watching her now?

She tried not to think about it too much, and she got to the Naughty Ottsel safely, just before it was due to open. Tess let her in, and was shocked by her injury.

"Are you alright?" asked Tess, "That looks painful."

"It's nothing," responded Azyma, "I just... scratched myself by accident." She did not reveal the truth lest it worry her friends; she didn't want to cause further misery or get others caught up in this mishap.

"Well, alright," said Tess, "As long as you're sure you're OK." She herself was a little suspicious of Azyma's answer, and suspected that there was something more to what she was saying, or what she chose not to say. Regardless of that, they opened the bar as normal, and once again it was soon full of people.

Keira spent the morning at home, and went back to the hangar to do some more repair work just before noon. Using her newly acquired pass, she was able to walk right past the barrier guards and into the building. Samos had already entered a few hours before she had so he could monitor the rescue progress. He learnt that during the night, the scouts had travelled far over the ocean roughly to where the last battle took place. They'd found little in the dark, but large chunks of metal and debris floating in the ocean revealed the extent of the combat. The surviving soldier guiding the rescue team felt rather strange to be back in the place where he'd nearly died, somewhat disturbing even. He felt a loneliness come over him, as many of his comrades had died in these very skies.

They'd recovered some of the wreckage, but had found no bodies. Their mission was not too much of a disappointment, considering it was the first expedition. The moment they commenced their return journey, another squad was dispatched to take their place.

As Keira entered the hangar garage, she found that all the mechanics were already there. They all noticed her come in immediately.

"Hi guys," she said, "Sorry I didn't talk much yesterday, but now I'm back and I'm feeling more talkative today. Anybody need any help or is there any more work to be done right now?"

At first nobody said anything. They all wanted to work with her, but none had the courage to volunteer themselves. But then Keira noticed that the cruiser she left yesterday had been moved.

"Where's the cruiser that was here?" she asked.

One of the engineers from last night spoke. "Someone else must have fixed it during the night. It's probably back in storage now."

"Alright," she said, feeling no change in emotions, "I'll have to find something else to do, since you guys seem to have everything handled."

"Wait, err..." said another. He was also one of the mechanics who'd stayed behind late last night. "There is something, err, over here."

Keira headed over to him, and everyone else watched. "What's up?" she asked.

"Well, erm, I've looked through this whole engine and it still won't run," he explained. Keira had a look in through the hatch he'd opened in the fuselage, and could see the complicated inner structures of the engine.

"Have you tried replacing the eco coils?" she asked.

"Yeah, the ones in there are brand new."

"What about wiping down the pistons?"

"Done it. They work fine."

"And have you checked all of the engine's cooling pipes?"

"Yeah, all done."

Keira suspected this guy was just seeking attention, but she persevered anyway. "Well what's actually happened to it to land it in here then?"

The mechanic explained. "My friend brought it in complaining of slow starts and bad handling. It was slower than all the others in his squadron."

"How old is this vehicle?" she asked, suspecting the cause of the problem.

"We've had it for ages," said the mechanic, "It's seen a lot of action."

Keira had another look inside the hatch. "Well if everything else checks out, you might need to replace the entire engine. If that doesn't work, you might have to scrap it."

The mechanic thought for a moment. "I don't know if we'll have another engine like that. This model went obsolete when Baron Praxis was still in power."

Keira raised an eyebrow. "Then why have you kept it for so long?"

"It's a... personal favourite of mine," said the mechanic.

"But a model as old as this should be in the scrap heap," said Keira, "I know it's served the city well, but everything breaks down eventually, and if it's lasted this long I'm surprised it was still working at all. It's just too old, that's the problem."

The mechanic looked down at his feet. He felt sad to hear that his old favourite was to be scrapped. This was the model he'd learned to fly. But Keira was right. This model was far too outdated to compete with the newer ones, and no longer had any place in the services.

But Keira had noticed that the engine had been modified in many ways to keep it alive. At first she'd thought it was just the old technology, but it had in fact all been the work of this mechanic standing beside her. She could see he was a little upset, and felt sorry for him.

"Or you could donate it to the museum," she suggested. The mechanic looked up again. "Put it on display so it can be remembered. I'll bet they don't have one of these there."

"You think so?" he asked, feeling new hope.

"Sure," answered Keira, smiling, "It can still serve the city, just in a different way." She put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he suddenly felt really happy.

"Alright," he said, "That actually sounds like a great idea!"

"I'll leave you to sort that out," said Keira, "Have fun."

As she turned to go away, the mechanic said, "Hey... thanks."

"No problem," she said.

Everybody in the room had been watching, and when Keira turned around she found two dozen eyes looking at her. But this didn't disturb her at all. She looked around and addressed the whole room. "Anything else I can assist with?"

Nearly every hand in the hangar went up, and Keira smiled to herself. She could tell she was going to fit in very well here. She certainly had her work cut out for her.


	5. Night Out

The second contingent of the rescue team began its journey. Half-way to their destination, just before they reached the ocean, they spied their friends in the first group coming back, and shared a quick radio conversation.

"Find anything?" they asked.

"Just some wreckage," said the returning group's leader, "We're bringing some back with us. Good luck out there."

"Thanks," said the second group's leader.

They passed each other in the air with no further words.

Two hours later, the second group reached where the first group had started their search. All the cruisers descended to a lower altitude to get a closer look at the waters, and then they began searching. They were unsure of what they may find; probably just more wreckage like the previous team. They hoped to recover some bodies, a grim task though it was, and confirm the whereabouts of at least some of the missing men. But with all of their armour on, they would have likely sunk to the bottom with the majority of their vehicles. What they were really hoping to find were traces of Torn or Ashelin or Jak, all highly respected and important figures in the city. Nobody wanted to find them dead, and everyone held out hope for them.

Meanwhile, the first team returned to the city with the wreckage. In the hangar, Keira was still busy helping out all of the mechanics who had become stuck with something. She was beginning to enjoy her new unofficial position as head engineer, showing the boys her expertise and being looked upon as a kind of mechanical guru. She was respected by them, and enjoyed being in their company.

But then there was a loud siren and the hangar's roof hissed open above them, and all work was halted as sunlight flooded in. Then shadows loomed overhead, and everyone in the room watched as several pieces of destroyed Hellcat cruisers were lowered onto the inspection platform. Before the roof had even closed again, Samos came bursting into the room followed by a small crowd of city officials and Freedom Guards.

"The first finds..." he said to himself.

Both mechanics and city officials gathered around the pile of wreckage.

"There'll not be much point in trying to repair these fragments," said one of the mechanics.

"But I wonder what they can tell us?" mused one of the city officials.

All they could tell right now from what they could see was that these pieces came apart from the main structure on impact with the ocean; they hadn't been torn off by weapon fire. Keira had a quick look inside one of the pieces of wreckage, which she thought was part of the cockpit.

"I can't see a black box anywhere," she said, "But if we find that, it could help us a lot to pinpoint this very cruiser's role in the battle, and maybe even who was flying it."

"Finding a small black box in the middle of a vast ocean isn't going to be easy," said one of the scouts, "But we've got to try. There's another team just set off; maybe they'll find something useful."

Keira again found herself thinking about Jak. What if this had been the very cruiser he was flying?

Among the finds was an engine, completely bent out of shape and with half of its vital components either hanging out of it or missing. The rest were just odd scraps of damaged metal, some of which still bore vestiges of the vivid blue decoration.

"I don't think there's anything much we can draw from these," said another mechanic, "It's too damaged. It'll have to hit the scrap heap."

The conclusion was decided right there and then. There was nothing more to do but get back to the work at hand. Before he left, Samos had a word with Keira.

"How are you doing today?" he asked quietly.

"Great, Daddy," answered Keira, "The guys really look up to me. I've been helping them all out and we've managed to fix a lot of stuff."

"Good work," said Samos, "Keep it up." Then he left.

All through the evening, Keira kept working hard with the mechanics. When twilight loomed, they stepped back and admired their progress. All the mechanics thanked Keira for her support and assistance, and she likewise thanked them for their patience and politeness.

"You know," said one of them, "When you first walked in here last night, I thought the commander was having a joke."

"I think we all did," said another, "We weren't expecting a young girl like you to be any good at anything to do with engineering, but boy you proved us wrong."

Keira was flattered. "You guys..." she chuckled.

**_[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart.""com/"art/Chapter-5-323251453]_**

"Just where did you learn to get so good?" asked another.

Keira wondered whether she should answer that question truthfully, but quickly decided that that was the best, since she was no good at making up stories.

"Well, I actually designed and built the world's first zoomer," she said, "Not a lot of people know that. I worked on it and modified it countless times, building add-ons like jump boosters and heat-shields..."

None of the mechanics could quite believe what they were hearing. "You're making that up!" they said, "Zoomers are hundreds of years old."

"Oh yeah, I'm from the past too, like Jak," she explained, "We're friends, and we came through the rift together with Daxter and my father Samos."

This was news to the mechanics, and they experienced similar feelings to those of Azyma when she was told, but on a more personal level since they had worked with Jak. "Wow, cool!" they said, and their immediate curiosity pressed her with questions about the old world, and more so about the original mechanics of Keira's first zoomer.

Keira was warmed by the attention she was getting, and nearly blushed. "Look, there's too much to explain right now," she said, "If you like, I know the owner of the Naughty Ottsel; we could head down there for some drinks and talk all we like."

To the mechanics, this sounded like a good idea, and they all signed off for the evening and headed out of the building with Keira, leaving the garage completely empty. Samos was still upstairs monitoring the rescue effort at the main computer terminal, passing his final words of advice to the next contingent which was already on its way out. He would soon be heading home, and leave his lieutenants on the night shift. It was vital there was always somebody on stand-by in case one of the teams ran into something. It was a tough but necessary assignment.

Keira and the guys were approaching the pub in the port, having taken the shortest possible route through the broken city. There were always Freedom Guards on patrol or repairing damaged buildings, but not many civilians. They chose often not to go out too late as the guards would get suspicious, but it was still better than living in the days of the Krimzon Guards, who would beat up people on the street just for glancing at them in an inappropriate manner. Haven's night life would return though; the war was looking to be on the verge of ending, and the city would be back in one piece again. The loyal public commitment of The Naughty Ottsel was the first step in bringing it back, and other businesses crippled by the war and many promising new ones would rise up to join the much loved pub.

Walking through the door, Keira was greeted by the warm familiar atmosphere again, and headed straight over to the bar table, followed by the mechanics.

Azyma was there, and noticed her walk in, and then catching sight of the large group of men behind her, smiled suggestively at them. Those of them who had noticed this smiled or waved back, delighted by the sight of another young and pretty face.

"Hi Keira," said Azyma, "Are all those guys with you?"

"Yeah they are," said Keira, "They're my friends from the hangar up at the Freedom building. Hey guys! Come on over and meet my friend!" she called and waved them all over. At once they all gathered around the table, and at the same time Tess appeared from behind the counter.

"Hi Keira, any more news?" she asked.

"Well, we've got some wreckage in," said Keira, "But we can't deduce much from it. If we can find any black boxes or serial numbers we can ID the vehicles and find out who they belonged too. Keep your hopes up."

"I will. Thanks for letting me know," replied Tess, "Now what can we get for you and your... company?"

Drinks were ordered, and brief formalities were made. Azyma couldn't resist feeling smitten towards the crowd of men Keira had brought in with her. Her generous smiling brought attention to the cut on her cheek, and Keira caught sight of it.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

Azyma kept the truth hidden again to avoid causing too much concern, and gave her prepared story. Then Tess pointed them to a suitably large table roughly in the middle of the room, and they all moved over to it with their drinks.

"So," said one of the men, "Tell us what the past was like."

Keira was only too happy to regale them of her life back in Sandover when things were simpler and much less dangerous. They were especially interested in the manner of machinery that existed, and Keira had to explain that apart from the many eco-powered devices of Precursor origin, the main driving force was steam-power. Her first zoomer was lifted by propellers driven by an eco-motor, loud and cumbersome.

Then she spoke about her time spent in Haven City, and working for years at the old stadium garage, fixing and tuning the race vehicles, and the odd road vehicles that were sent in too. She also took pride in stating that it was only her who had worked there, which meant that the conditions of every single vehicle that was sent in were her responsibility, and this impressed her tablemates.

"Wow! No wonder you're so good! You must have been working solid every day."

"It was a tough job," said Keira, "But it got real lonely sometimes. At least now I've got company at work. But enough about me, what about you guys?"

The mechanics each shared their own brief stories. Many of them had volunteered themselves during the wartime, and had led fairly plain lives through the reign of the Baron, just trying to stay in line and not do anything 'subversive'.

Azyma could see Keira enjoying herself over at the table. She wished she had friends like that, and was a little envious of Keira for all the attention she was getting from them. But she had her job to do, and although she was putting on a pleasant face, her mind was still locked in perpetual worry about her attack last night. She still had no idea what it had all been about, and even after a night's sleep (albeit a troubled one) she could not pinpoint a potential suspect or motive. She also began to think whether keeping it a secret was really the best idea. True, she didn't want to endanger her friends by getting them all caught up in whatever this was, but she felt she needed support. She also felt anxious about her journey home tonight; would she be confronted again? She had brought her gun with her just for this reason, and it was right now stored safely in her bag in Tess's room.

As the night wore on and closing time neared, the bar steadily emptied. But Keira and her companions stayed until late, and were among the last to leave. When the time came they all departed together, and said goodbye to Tess and Azyma, who began cleaning up the place and preparing it for tomorrow. With Azyma's help, Tess was able to stack the chairs and stools atop the tables, which was something that she and Daxter couldn't do by themselves. She really liked the way it made the whole room look much neater. Azyma however was still thinking heavily on what had happened to her nearly twenty four hours ago, and feared what may happen this night. Tess noticed that she'd been unusually taciturn throughout the day, and wondered if something was bothering her.

"Is everything OK, sweetie?" she asked.

Azyma looked up from her cleaning. "Oh, erm, yeah I think so," she said, "The floor here looks clean to me."

"No, I mean are you OK?" Tess said again.

"Well..." Azyma was hesitant.

"Come on, if there's something bothering you, I want to help you," said Tess, "You've been quite silent today and it's made me worry about you."

Azyma understood now that it was indeed better to let Tess know what had happened.

"Well... I was confronted by someone on the way home last night," she explained.

"Who was it?" asked Tess.

"I don't know, I didn't see them. They came at me from behind and held me against the wall, whispering threats into my ear."

Tess looked horrified and held her hands up to her mouth in shock. Azyma continued. "It was definitely a man, and his voice was low and rasping. It sounded familiar though, but I can't remember where I might have heard it before. He said he'd got plans for me, and if I didn't behave he'd have to deal with me earlier than expected. I don't know what he was on about, but it really frightened me. That's how I really got this cut, and I fear he may be waiting for me out there again." She looked uneasily towards the door.

"Azyma that's horrible!" said Tess, "Why didn't you tell me this morning?"

"I... didn't want to alarm you."

"We've got to tell the guards," said Tess, "There are always some on patrol; they'll protect you."

"Alright," said Azyma, "I just hope whoever it was who attacked me was just bluffing and won't come back."

"It was probably just some lonely thug in the slums," said Tess, "You and I both know what a rough part of town that is, and the war probably hasn't put much of a positive effect on it and the people living there. If there's nobody you've had any troubles with in the past, then it was likely just someone trying to scare you. Didn't he take anything?"

"No," said Azyma, "And that was what stumped me. He just talked and then left me."

"Now that's odd," said Tess, "What kind of thug attacks people but doesn't steal anything? Well, maybe that could help us find out who it is..."

"Yeah, I... I hope so," said Azyma.

Just then, two guards were seen passing by the door. "Go and tell them now," said Tess.

"Alright," said Azyma, and she quickly went outside to flag them down.

"Excuse me!" she called, and the guards came over.

"What can we do for you, miss?" they asked.

"Well, I was attacked in the slums last night by someone. I didn't get his description, but he was tall. Oh, and I think I saw metal dentures in his mouth. That's all I saw."

"We'll look into it," said one of the guards, "Thanks for the notice. What time did this attack happen?"

"Around this time last night," said Azyma, "Right outside my house in the slums."

"Alright," said the guard, "We'd best head over there."

"Could you take me with you?" asked Azyma, "It's just that I'm heading home now and I don't want to run into him again."

"Certainly, miss," said the second guard, "We'll protect you."

"Great, thanks. Let me just get my bag." Azyma went back inside and quickly told Tess the news whilst picking up her bag, and then saying good night.

"Best of luck," said Tess.

Azyma felt much safer and more secure now that she was being escorted home by two armed guards. They took the northward route past the old palace ruins, which were being cleared out and made more accessible to the public again, and it was now possible to walk through parts of them safely and come out in the slums.

The night was dark again, and the guards kept their eyes open. Azyma kept them moving towards her house, and soon they arrived without any mishaps.

"I want to thank you guys," said Azyma, "For getting me home safely."

"No problem, miss," said the guards, "It's our job to protect the people and the city of Haven. We'll keep a look out in this area for your trouble-maker, and alert other patrols as well."

"Thanks again," said Azyma, and entered her house. She was able to sleep a little easier that night, and was not bothered by the dark man at all. This made her feel a lot better about the situation, and her worries were suppressed by her confidence. She even went to sleep with a smile on her face.


	6. Another Clue

It was early morning, and Samos was atop the roof of his house waiting for the sunrise. It was an old habit he'd begun back in Sandover, and he liked revisiting it when he had the time. He'd always liked watching the sun come up and feed the plants with its warm light, and luckily the sky was cloudless this morning, providing a clear view of the upcoming event. The sky was rarely this clear in Haven, so he absorbed the moment and enjoyed it while it lasted. The eastern horizon beyond the rooftops was glowing with a red radiance, and behind him in the west the green sun hovered tentatively behind the mountains. The clash of coloured light above him was mesmerising, and formed a mergence of iridescence, slowly changing all the time. Though it was wonderful to look at, it paled in comparison to the memories of the sunrises at Sandover, where he could look out over the open ocean from his tower and observe the unobstructed event. The world had changed too much, he thought; there are too many buildings around. He'd have to visit Haven Forest again someday when he had the time, but he predicted that soon he would get that opportunity due to the lack of enemy activity over the recent weeks.

His thoughts then turned to Jak. Though he had no idea exactly where he was, he could feel in the plants and in the earth that he was still alive somewhere, despite being missing in action. Jak was made of tough stuff, and was a strong swimmer. If there was anyone who could survive a crash into the ocean at high speeds, it would be him. Every day Samos would ask the plants for news, and would hope for something substantial, but any news was good news on this matter. His main worry though was that Jak still had an important part of his destiny to fulfil, but it was kept unspoken between them.

Then he thought about his daughter. He was pleased to see Keira fitting in well with her new employment; she seemed very happy to finally do some mechanical work again, and she was certainly making friends. He smiled to himself at how much his daughter had matured.

Just then, the sky got lighter and the sun began to rise above the buildings. The attention of Samos was brought back to his immediate surroundings, and he watched the light move across the sky and the green from the second sun dissipate. In silence he sat as the sky got brighter, and at the same time the rest of the city was waking up. He heard footsteps on the street below, and quiet movements in the distance. For the next few minutes the sunrise progressed and soon the city was in full light. The small garden in the rooftop corner rustled in the wind, almost in joyful response to the coming day as the top of the house was illuminated.

As much as Samos was enjoying the moment, his favourite part was now over and he had to prepare himself for work at the Freedom HQ Building. In her bedroom Keira was still sleeping; she'd worked hard yesterday and deserved her rest. Samos let her be and departed for work.

At the same time in the slums, Azyma was awakening. She felt great this morning, free from the worry of that mysterious figure who had seized her the night before. She opened the curtains and let the light in, and could see the streets already alive with people at this early hour.

Following a quick wash, she observed the cut on her cheek, and was glad to see that it was already starting to heal. She had some light breakfast, and then left her house and set off to the Naughty Ottsel in time for opening hours. She was happy to see a patrol of Freedom Guards pass by, keeping an eye out for suspicious trouble-makers. Hopefully they would find the man who had accosted her.

A few hours after dawn, Keira herself awoke, and prepared herself for more work in the garage. But she was in no hurry to leave; she enjoyed having the house to herself.

When she did arrive in the garage, she was greeted by her friends. "A few of us are going over to the base on the Drill Platform," one explained, "Do you want to come with us? They could probably use your help up there because they've got the only bomber that made it back."

"Sure," said Keira, "Let's go."

They entered the back room of the garage, where there was stored a warp gate that provided access back and forth to the Drill Platform, but before they jumped through, they stopped and told Keira the precaution.

"I warn you," said one of the mechanics, "We've been told there's something living up on the Drill Platform; it was discovered by the first search party that went up there after the war."

Keira was intrigued. "What is it?" she asked.

"We don't know. Nobody's ever seen it. It seems to just watch us and has never interfered with our work. I'm just letting you know, because it's not uncommon for people to glimpse things out of the corner of their eye."

"Alright," said Keira, "Thanks for letting me know." Without further delay, they all jumped through.

The world turned blue and Keira felt herself endlessly tumbling through a swirling void, until she landed on her feet at the Drill Platform, her whole body tingling. It had been so long since she'd travelled through a warp gate that she'd almost forgotten how chaotic it could be sometimes. She leant on the metal ring while she caught her breath.

"You alright?" asked one of the mechanics.

"I'm fine," she said, "Just need to get used to the feeling of warp travel again."

After she had recovered, she could get a proper look at her surroundings. Situated atop a massive ridge in the mountains and held there by four giant supports, the Drill Platform was an ancient and massive piece of mining machinery used to extract large quantities of minerals and eco ore from the hard rock. It had been used extensively during the Baron's reign and before, but now it did not function and served only as a secondary base for the Freedom troops.

All around her, Keira could see tables and toolboxes and bits of scrap metal. Directly ahead of her, a Hellcat was propped up on metal supports, and several guards were working beneath it from a make-shift inspection pit. Some more guards were keeping an eye out from the work area perimeter, while others checked the safety of repairs in the floor.

"Wow, I've never been up here before," said Keira, admiring the wonder of the platform's construction. She looked over the edge but immediately pulled back after she saw how high up they were.

"This way," said the mechanics, and they led her across the old platform to where the bomber was lying like a giant wounded bird. Both of its wings had been removed, all the unused ammunition carefully taken out, and the last of its fuel had been drained away and put into storage. They all stood there and looked up at it.

One of the mechanics whistled. "This'll be a tough fix!" he said.

"No point standing around though," said another, "Let's see what we can do. What do you think, Keira? You up for it?"

Keira smiled, and said, "I'm always up for a challenge. Let's go."

Their work began.

Back in the city, Samos was picking up the news from the guards on night duty in the control room. They still had not discovered any survivors or any more substantial pieces of wreckage or debris. In fact their progress had worsened; finds were becoming increasingly difficult to procure. It was a sad blow to the Freedom League, and they were no closer to finding the whereabouts of their leaders Torn or Ashelin, or the city's saviours Jak and Daxter.

"I wish we knew where they were," said the sleepy guard before he was relieved of duty, "All through the night they've found nothing. I hope they're alright."

Samos hoped so too, but there was little else he could do except headline the operation. But just then some sensational news reached him. A scientist came bursting into the room waving a piece of paper around.

"We've done it!" he shouted triumphantly, "The on-board teleporters are ready!"

This was good news indeed, and Samos felt a new wave of hope well up inside him as the scientist rushed over. "Here are the results!" he said, and he slammed the paper excitedly down on the table. Samos glanced over it, and though he understood little of the scientific notation or processes written down, he took the scientist's word for it and smiled.

"Well done," he said, "You and your men have worked well. May I see it?"

"Of course," answered the scientist, "Come with me to the labs." Samos left another guard in charge of the monitors as he was led away. Inside the lab a team of scientists was gathered around a table bearing a small device, and they were all silently watching it, not even flinching when they heard the doors open behind them.

"Let me through!" ordered Samos, and his sharp voice was enough to separate the group. What he saw on the table was a square metallic gadget customised to fit into a Hellcat dashboard. It bore a small keypad and a screen, and several other small buttons.

"Has it been tested?" asked Samos.

"Yes, everything has been done," answered the head scientist, "It's ready for vehicle implementation."

"I want to see it working first," said Samos.

Without a moment's hesitation, the head scientist typed in some co-ordinates and ordered one of his colleagues to stand in the next room, out of sight. Upon pressing a button on the device, it flashed brightly with a yellow light and emitted a loud noise, the same noise that everyone in the city had come to dread. Then it was gone. Seconds later, the scientist returned from the other room holding it in his hands.

"Excellent!" said Samos, "Well done. You have greatly improved our search and rescue abilities. With this, we can explore the ocean much quicker."

"Well, it's only a prototype," explained someone, "We've yet to test it in an actual vehicle."

"Well now is the perfect time if you're sure that it's safe," said Samos, "We don't want to lose any more good people unnecessarily."

Back at the Drill Platform, Keira and the mechanics from the garage were working well. Already they had repaired a good portion of the bomber's fuselage, and replaced the damaged metal in the wings. The inner workings were badly twisted but fixable; it would just take a while. Pretty soon they'd be ready to re-attach the wings.

Another Freedom Guard came through the warp gate, but this was so habitual he went unnoticed. However, he had an important order to carry out. He shouted and got everyone's attention, requesting they all stop work temporarily and clear a space on the platform, by urgent command of Samos. Not wishing to get into any trouble with the old man, everyone obeyed, though still unaware of the reasons behind such an order.

When at last there was substantial room, the recently arrived guard spoke into his radio and confirmed that all was ready. Then, "Get back!" he ordered everyone, "Make some room!" Everybody moved away steadily, still unsure of what to expect.

Then suddenly, before many of them had even stopped moving, their faces were lit up by a bright yellow light and a loud blast echoed through the mountains. Many of the Freedom Guards instinctively took cover or aimed their weapons at the source of this noise which had created an unconditional fear in the hearts of all the people of Haven. But they froze and looked on bewildered when they saw one of their own Hellcats now taking up the empty space they had just cleared.

Then the guard stepped forward to inspect it, and immediately got back on the radio, confirming a seemingly successful test run. Then he spoke to the crowd; this was his moment.

"What you have just witnessed is our future!" he announced. "We now have the teleportation capabilities of our enemies, and once mass produced, we shall annihilate them once and for all!"

Everybody on the platform cheered except for Keira. Yes, this was good news, but at what costs? After losing Jak, she knew that for every good fortune they were granted in this war, something just as bad would nullify its effects. Something about all this told her that nothing noteworthy would come out of it. Nevertheless, she managed to clap quietly before the crowd fell silent and got back to work again.

Samos at the Freedom Headquarters received the news and calmly rejoiced. "Thank the Precursors!" he said, "Jak my boy, wherever you are, we're coming for you."

He then set about plans for implementing the new teleporters into the rest of the available vehicles. Using these, the rescue team could greatly increase their efforts.

But then, a crackled message came through on his radio. It was incredibly faint and very quiet, and mostly obscured by the hissing of static. He had to hold it right against his ear to even make out the loudest sound.

"This is the rescue team..." he heard, but after that he couldn't make out any more.

"Repeat, rescue team!" he answered, "This is Samos, you're very weak. Can hardly hear you."

"We..." The rest of the message was obscured by digital noise. This was frustrating.

"You're too far out to communicate properly!" said Samos, "We can barely hear you. Use your radio controls to answer our questions; one click for yes, two for no. Do you copy?"

Samos heard a short, sharp buzz of static in his radio, signalling an acknowledgment. By now, the operators in the room with him had wired up communications to the big speakers so everyone could hear.

"Are you in trouble?" he asked. He heard two buzzes. "Have you found something?" He heard one buzz, and all in the room looked up and listened intently, eyes wild with anticipation and minds ablaze with speculation.

"Is it a person?" Samos asked. He heard two buzzes. "Is it an object?" He heard two buzzes. "Can you bring it back with you?" Again, he heard two buzzes. Limited to this narrow line of questioning, Samos knew they would never get close to finding out what they were seeing.

"Right, note down your current location and report back here immediately," Samos ordered, "Samos out." He put down the radio and the whole room was in silence. Whatever it was they had found, it was important enough for them to try and contact headquarters from a range far beyond the boundaries of their most powerful radio scanners. "Alert the next squad," said Samos, "Have them on immediate standby. And let me know as soon as the returning squad enters our radio communication zone."

The men about him set to work, and he stood there thinking in silence, hands resting on the table and eyes closed. Out over the far ocean, the rescue team who had contacted Samos turned around immediately and sped homewards. They had urgent news to deliver.

Samos had to wait for nearly an hour before he received word from the crew again. In that time, the teleporting cruiser returned from the Drill Platform and Samos ordered them to build more and send word to the mechanics. When the rescue team came within range, he snatched up the radio again and spoke into it, this time hearing a louder, much cleaner response.

"Come in, rescue team. This is Samos again. What did you see?" he asked calmly.

"This is the rescue team," he heard, "We were exploring the ocean and saw smoke far away on the horizon to the north. It was too distant to reach without running out of fuel. We don't know what it was, but we all agree it needs to be investigated."

Samos was intrigued. Could this be the signs of survival they had hoped for? Was it Jak trying to send a signal, or something more sinister?

"Copied," said Samos, "We also have news for you. The scientists have completed and tested the on-board teleporters for the cruisers, and we're getting the mechanics to start fixing them into our vehicles. When we've got enough we'll send out an expedition to investigate. Bring the co-ordinates of the spot where you saw the smoke."

"Copied," said the rescue team, "That's great news. Now we can search more quickly. Our ETA is 100 minutes, stand by for our return. Out."

Not a moment after he put the radio down, Samos began thinking of another plan. They had to act quickly to respond to the smoke signal, if that was really what it was. If it was a survivor from the great battle five days ago, they might not have much time. But if it wasn't, what was it? Samos was no nearer to knowing than the rescue team who spotted it, but they had to find out. Everybody in the room had heard the message, and without even being told what to do by Samos, they began making the necessary preparations.

Samos looked up once again with a dark look in his eyes. He was filled with all sorts of conflicting emotions that raced around his mind like insects. Was this the moment they had all been waiting for?

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-6-324614364]**_

Later that day, the scouting party returned. They zoomed at great speed over the Drill Platform, which took everyone working there by surprise.

"Where are they going in such a hurry?" asked one of the mechanics. None of them had yet been informed of the new sighting far away in the ocean.

The Hellcats came in and landed in the hangar in the city, and all the workers there made room for them. They were met shortly later by a crowd of city officials who had seen them arriving and had headed down to see them. While they were there, they also spoke to the workers, explaining that they needed some modifications done to some Hellcats for another mission, and to stand by for more information. They did not reveal any specific details lest word get out to the public before it was time they ought to know.

The workers didn't question it though; they had plenty of Hellcats not being used at the moment. The hangar was never empty, and there were only a few other Hellcats on duty at the moment: the scouting party and the few still guarding the Industrial section. But first the scientists had to manufacture more teleporters. Work was begun immediately, in order to waste as little time as possible to respond to this thing... whatever it was.


	7. Scorch

Keira had spent most of the day working at the Drill Platform. As the afternoon wore on and work ended, she stepped back and observed the newly repaired bomber she'd been working on with the other mechanics. They'd done a good job, and the vehicle was almost ready for service again, were it needed.

Before leaving, Keira was finally able to admire the amazing scenery surrounding the platform. They were located right in the middle of the mountain range west of the city. Large grey rock formations thrust out of the earth all around, and their peaks loomed over the platform, obscured by snow and misty clouds. The sky itself was clear, and the last of the afternoon sun warmed the platform before it would disappear behind the high walls and cast long shadows over the workmen.

"We'd better head off now. It gets cold up here once the sun goes down," said one of the mechanics, who was concerned about Keira in her sleeveless shirt. They'd all worked hard anyway, without any substantial breaks. It was definitely time they returned to the garage for a well-deserved rest.

Upon travelling back through the warp gate again, they arrived in the garage to see everyone else hard at work, scurrying around the place, carrying tools back and forth, diving in and out of Hellcat cockpits and making a general racket.

"New orders!" said someone as he passed the group, "And they come straight from the top! We've got to install all these new panels into the cockpits. All the cruisers need to be upgraded as soon as possible."

"Why?" asked Keira, although she probably already knew the answer to that.

"Some kind of new mission," explained the man, "They didn't tell us anything else."

Everyone in the group looked at each other. "It's the teleporters," they agreed, "They sent a cruiser up to the Drill Platform using one while we were there. Looks like that was the test run."

"Sounds like it," said the man, "But now we've got to install more. We've got a big order to fill."

This really wasn't what Keira and her group wanted to hear right now. They were tired, hungry and just wanted to chill out for a while. Surely they must be eligible for a break right now?

Regardless of orders, they headed into the mess room for some recuperation and relaxation, for however long a time. There they enjoyed some refreshing food and drinks before discussing their best plans.

"This isn't as good as the stuff they serve at the Naughty Ottsel," said one of the mechanics. That was something they could all easily agree on.

"I don't think we're actually needed here," suggested someone else, "The rest of the guys have clearly got it handled. We've earned to take the rest of the day off."

The policies on attendance were pretty relaxed in the garage anyway. The city had so many workers available that they often just turned up when they felt they were needed. Keira was seeing new faces every day, and still had not yet met everyone who worked there. Of course, during the height of the war, there had been many workers in there all the time, but now things had slowed right down, an unspoken agreement had been settled on amongst them to make working hours more flexible.

Thereupon they resolved to knock off for the day and head home, leaving the rest of the team to carry out the new vehicle modifications.

Samos meanwhile was still hard at work upstairs in the control room, drawing out plans and giving orders to those around him. At the same time, he continued to meditate on what the sighting on the horizon could have been. He wanted to find out as much as everyone else, and even considered joining the mission himself, but concluded his efforts were better spent back home. If something happened to him out there, the city would be without an official leader again, which was an event nobody wanted. Nevertheless, he would stay in as much contact as possible with the team during the operation.

"It may be beneficial to set up a radio post outside the city walls," he said, "Because this mission will take place beyond the ranges of our current scanners."

"We have some spares in storage," said someone, "We can set them up quickly and have them working in minutes. They're designed for rapid installation."

"I know," replied Samos, "And they'd best be placed somewhere beyond the mountains which often block our radio signals. And we'll need a team to set up operations there too. Looks like we'll need some more brave volunteers..."

As Keira left the Freedom Headquarters and stepped onto the streets of Haven once more, she found herself looking back towards the direction of the mountains where the Drill Platform lay. Of course, her view was obstructed by the buildings, and even if it weren't she still wouldn't have been able to see it because it was hidden completely from sight of the city. If there was anywhere they could have a hidden back-up base, it'd be there.

Returning home, she entered through the front door and called out: "Daddy? You there?"

No answer came; looked like she had the house to herself again. Dropping her bag right by the door, she trudged into the main room and collapsed on the couch, face down in the fabric. There she lay for a few minutes just enjoying the feeling of being lazy, before she got up and went to find some more food. Any other time she would have gone to the Naughty Ottsel to be with Tess and Azyma, but she just didn't have the care to head out again that evening. She was able to quickly throw together a slap-dash meal which she wasn't entirely satisfied with, but it was enough for her to enjoy.

After having eaten, and not even bothering to wash up, she took her bag upstairs to her bedroom and left it there, then went for a shower. The rest of the evening she spent chilling out, reading, and thinking about Jak.

Then just before the onset of night, she was disturbed by the sound of Hellcats outside her window. She looked out and saw a small group fly away into the distance before disappearing from sight.

That had been the team dispatched with the radio equipment to be set up beyond the mountains. That evening they found a suitable place in the wastelands at the threshold of the grey coastline, where they put up floodlights and a radio mast, anchored into the dead soil. They tested it and found they could communicate with Samos at the Headquarters, and satisfied with their success, set up camp. They'd be living rough out here, and would have to rely on their chain of provisions since nothing grew in this desolate place. At least they'd only be sleeping in their tents for one night before being relieved of duty by others.

Back in the city, Samos stood at his computer monitor and observed the radio signals buzzing between the two locations.

"Good. This will help us to communicate over a greater distance," he said.

Now all he had to do was wait until enough of the new Hellcats were ready. The new model was to be called the Hellcat T, and was to replace all of the current versions in service.

That'll give Keira something to keep her happy, he thought, and wondered what she was doing right now. He imagined her having the time of her life in the garage working on the vehicles. But in fact she was at home in her bedroom taking it easy. They hadn't spoken to each other at all that day; they'd been separated by their work.

In her bedroom, Keira lay on her bed with the lights off. She wasn't trying to get to sleep, but looked out of the window at the sky. It was a clear night, but the emanating light from the streets dimmed the starlight and they could not be seen. Keira thought back to her childhood in Sandover, and remembered her father taking her to the top of his watchtower and pointing out constellations in the deep night sky. She longed to see the stars again. Those same constellations were still up there, and seeing them filled her with a forgotten childlike happiness she had experienced all those years ago.

Then her room changed colour as the green sun moved into view. She sat up and looked at it directly (something which could not be done with the day sun) and a deep sense of wonder came over her. She felt an urge to be closer to the sky, and an idea came into her head. Tomorrow night, she would go exploring in the old forest ruins where she could see the sky more clearly, away from the city light. She thought Azyma and Tess may like the getaway session too, and she'd go and invite them on her little excursion tomorrow during a visit to the Naughty Ottsel.

Content with her decision, she let herself go to sleep.

Samos wasn't having such an easy night. He remained awake and alert in the control room of the Freedom Headquarters with the last of his loyal men who hadn't yet gone home for the night. Downstairs the mechanics were busy as well. They understood the urgency of the situation and did not mind working a little overtime. In fact, there was always someone in the garage these days. Nearly everyone present in the room had spent a lonely night working solo at some point in their career. All through the night they worked tirelessly on the vehicles, until just before dawn they had reached their target. Wiping the sweat from their faces, they passed the message upstairs.

Samos was nodding in his place by the monitor when he got the news. He had waited all night, and now the moment was here. Once again he was alert, and began conducting the mission. Several fresh troops led by Commander Vis were commissioned for the task, and they boarded their new Hellcat T models with high expectations. They took off into the early morning air, and headed to the Drill Platform to test their teleporters. They weren't going to activate them while over the city lest the citizens panic at the sound, after all they had become accustomed to running for cover whenever they heard it. After arriving at the platform and testing the new devices successfully, they zapped away to the new radio post where they delivered a few supplies and waited for enough light in the sky to commence their expedition.

At the crack of dawn, they re-boarded their vehicles and headed to the spot where the smoke was sighted. With a flash of light and a whoosh of air, they materialised in the exact spot over the twilit ocean.

"HQ, are you reading us?" Vis spoke into the radio.

Back home the signal was received loud and clear. "Affirmative," said Samos, "What do you see?"

"Smoke has been sighted in the distance, still burning," answered Vis, "Proceeding to move closer, stand by."

They accelerated towards the billowing tower at a cautious speed, keeping an eye out for trouble on all sides of them. They never saw any as they continued advancing over the empty ocean in the early light.

All were silent on board the cruisers as their investigation drew on and the smoke cloud came nearer. Samos was eagerly awaiting their next transmission, and his mind was swimming with thoughts and speculations. But soon he would have his answer.

Within a short time, the cruisers reached land. This was a dark and unexplored terrain, looking similar to the dead wilderness on the other side of their mountains back home, but with a much more familiar stench. Metal Heads had been here, and the ground was covered with toxic slime and fuming plants that sizzled in the sun. This however was an area that had not seen Metal Head activity for quite some time, and their dark and organic creations had overgrown and seized the land for themselves. It now hissed with a life of its own, and filled the air with a deep cloud of green mist that was poisonous to breathe. The cruisers had to pitch up to above this dangerous layer to cleaner air, as the fumes alone were enough to cause the engines to splutter and shake.

But it was not this terrible place that was the source of the smoke seen from afar. That still lay ahead, and the pilots were curious by what they saw, for the column of smoke seemed to widen out at the bottom to form a disproportionate hourglass shape.

Vis got on the radio. "HQ, can you still read us?"

"Affirmative," spoke Samos, "Loud and clear. What have you got to report?"

"We've come across another continent. It's infested with Metal Head corruption, but it's grown right out of control. I've never seen their pollution this bad before. The smoke tower is still ahead, we're almost on top of it. It's weird... it's like it's coming out of the ground. We're heading closer."

"Copied, be careful," said Samos.

When the cruisers got closer, the pilots could see that the smoke was not coming out of the ground. The lower part of the smoke column was actually a black mountain, and the smoke rose from about half-way up its walls, where it blew upwards and outwards into the sky. The base of the mountain was hidden in the green mist of the Metal Heads, and they could not descend lower to find its true roots lest their engines give out from the fumes. They hovered in closer to the mountain, as close as they dared to get a good look.

"HQ, the smoke's coming out of a mountain," said Vis, and his words were heard back in the control room.

"You mean like a volcano?" asked Samos.

"No, it's more like a fire burning inside the mountain and coming out of the walls. It's... wait..."

He looked closer and could see something metallic amid the flames and the smoke. He was beginning to feel the heat now, and had to pull back a little.

"There's something in there!" he said, "There's something burning on the mountain side. It looks like some kind of machinery or something."

Everyone at the Freedom HQ looked at each other. What could it be?

There was a long silence as the cruisers slowly flew around the mountain, inspecting it from all sides.

"It's a structure," said Vis, "It's like a big metal platform built around the mountain."

One of the other pilots shouted. "Sir!"

Everyone went quiet, and the pilot who had shouted pointed to his control panel. All the others checked theirs, and read out their co-ordinates. They'd seen those ones before, and not too long ago either.

Vis looked at the burning mountain again, and a wave of realisation roared over him. After what seemed like a long time for him, he was brought back to his senses by Samos' voice.

"Vis, what's happened? Report!"

"This is it..." said Vis, "We're here... This is the enemy city..."

**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart.""com/"art/Chapter-7-325980147]**


	8. Two Plans

"The whole thing was ablaze. There was nothing I'd ever seen like it before; it just raged out of control like a wild animal."

Vis was in the Freedom HQ building recounting his discovery at the edge of the world. All around him sat important city officials and other high ranking commanders, who listened with intensity. Samos was at the head of the table, and was most disturbed by what Vis was saying. It certainly provided answers to some biting questions, like why the enemy attacks had actually come to a halt, and what was happening to them. It sounded as if some great catastrophe, either natural or man-made, had befallen on the people of Idandi, and now their home was burning.

"The smoke was too thick and black to see through," continued Vis, "But it looked like there was something else on the mountain too. I could see metal supports bolted to the rock, which held onto a much larger piece of machinery or device. Kind of like our old drilling platform that we've commandeered for work, but it was much larger and looked way more advanced. I could only see the edges; we don't know what's down there hidden in the fire. We saw no sign of survivors either..."

He paused, but went on.

"The only way we'll be able to find out more is to wait until that fire burns out, but who knows how long that'll take. That thing could have been burning for days already."

Samos nodded. "OK," he said, "Well done, Vis. You and your men have brought back vital intelligence, now take a rest; you've earned it. Alright, we'll have to deal with the situation we've been handed. Clearly something big has happened over at the city of Idandi, and we have no idea what that was. But it seems that, for now at least, our enemy is in no condition to fight. But we must not let that notion get the better of us. We need to find out more first, and try to establish exactly what has been going on over there before we announce any further developments. These are mysterious times..."

He closed his eyes for a moment, and then stood up. "We need more soldiers to head out there and uncover the evidence. This will undoubtedly be a very dangerous task, but with our new teleporter technology, it should hopefully be swift and precise. Round up more men at once, and make sure none of them go blabbing to civilians. This information is not to leave this building. Is that understood?"

Everyone at the table signified their approval and agreement, and set about to work. Samos stayed where he was for a while longer before he moved away himself. It had been a long night for him, and he was growing weary and fatigued. But he could not take a break just yet, now that this huge event had been revealed. His work was only just beginning.

Down in the garage, the mechanics were all taking it easy. They sat quietly and ate some food, some of them were relaxing in the rest room, and some were even asleep in a number of different places all over the work room, so tired that they had literally fallen asleep on the spot.

"We've worked straight through the night," said one, "Surely now we can take a break. We've reached our quota after all."

"Yeah," agreed all the others (who weren't asleep anyway). But their short discussion was interrupted as the doors hissed open over the room and one of the generals came marching in. He wasn't a particularly well-liked general, and he showed this admirably by grabbing a wrench that was hanging by the door and slamming it against a pipe with a loud crash. All of the workers who were asleep were immediately awakened, and one was so startled by the noise that he fell off his perch and crunched to the ground.

Everyone else stood to attention as he came nearer. 'Great!' they all thought, 'What does he want us to do now? Aren't we allowed a little relaxation?'

The general halted in front of them all, and really surprised them by giving them all warm congratulations. "Well done men!" he said, "You've made a marvellous contribution. Go home now and get some rest, take all the time you need."

This pleased the men standing before him. "Thank you, sir," they said, and in fact this was all they could find words for, as none of them had ever once received even a cheerful glance from this man. He was in fact there to make sure they all left the building uninformed of the news upstairs, and the only way he could see this accomplished was to get it done as quickly as possible, before the word spread.

Soon all of the mechanics were gone and the hangar was empty again, save for the general who had just cleared them out. He looked around briefly to make sure nobody had slept through his order, and seeing nobody, smiled to himself for what a good job he'd done.

Next he put the second step of the plan into action. He whistled loudly through his fingers, and a dozen of his henchmen came marching in and began locking all the doors. Nobody was to be let in or out of the building while the following mission was in progress, and since the mechanics were not really needed right now, they were sent home, under the facade of a well-earned break.

When Keira came to check on the work a little while later, she found the doors mysteriously locked. It was then that she noticed the sign placed by the wall: _No entry under any circumstances today._

"That's strange," said Keira aloud to herself, but not thinking any more on it, turned around and instead headed south to the Naughty Ottsel. She was rather pleased about this actually, as she was still feeling the effects of yesterday's workload, and her arms were stiff and aching from all the heavy lifting she'd done.

When she had arrived at the Naughty Ottsel, she was spotted by Azyma almost immediately, and was waved over to the counter by her. It had been two days since her last visit, and she had clearly been missed.

"Keira!" said Azyma, "Where have you been?"

"Sorry," replied Keira, "I've been working hard these last few days."

"Aww, have a drink," she said, and very quickly handed her another free glass, which Keira greatly accepted.

"The Freedom Building's locked up," she said, "Couldn't get in today."

"Why's that?" asked Azyma.

"No idea," answered Keira, "Something must be going on up there, something really important. My father's still inside. I haven't seen him for a while. Something big must definitely be happening."

"Well, whatever it is, it can wait. You can just chill out here for a while if you like."

"Well, I don't really have anything else to do today," said Keira, "Why not?"

She sat and spoke with Azyma at the bar for some time until she remembered why she'd originally come here. "Hey Azyma," she said, "I was thinking of going exploring in the old forest tonight. Want to come?"

Azyma looked at her with uncertainty. "Are you sure it's safe out there?" she asked, "The last I heard that forest was full of Metal Heads and other dangerous and dark creatures."

"Oh they won't be there anymore," said Keira confidently, "Jak told me he scared them all off for good, and I don't think there'll be any more dangers in there to worry about."

"Well, I'd love to come with you Keira, but I've got my job to do here, and I'll have to ask Tess if that's OK. She always says it's a handful running this place by yourself when you're only two and a half feet tall."

"Well, maybe she'd like to come as well?" suggested Keira, "That is, if she doesn't mind."

"I'll have to ask her," said Azyma, "She might do."

"Do what?" asked Tess, who had just appeared from the back room and sprung up onto a chair behind the bar table. Keira explained her idea again, and Tess listened excitedly.

"Sounds fun," she said, "It'd be good for us all to get out together. I'm sure all the customers don't mind me closing up early, right?"

She received a mumbled acknowledgement from everyone in the room as they all lifted their glasses in agreement. That was decent of them; it impressed Keira to see such a loyal crowd.

"Fine," she said, feeling happier, "So do you want to come round to my house when you're ready?"

"Sure," said Tess, "I'll see you there this evening, don't know what time though. Just be ready for us."

"Alright," said Keira, "Can't wait! See you later."

She departed amicably and stepped outside. Overhead another group of Hellcats buzzed through the sky towards the mountains. Everyone on the streets looked up at them and watched as they flew away from sight over the city wall, probably on another rescue mission they thought. Keira wondered if they had those new teleporters on board yet.

The fact was that they did. When they were out of sight and hearing shot of the city, they zapped away and arrived at the still flaming mountain far across the waters. There was little they could do there though. There was nowhere to touch down, and the heat and smoke from the blaze prevented them from getting too near. But this squad was on an observation mission. Armed with binoculars, they hovered carefully as close as they could get and tried to find more clues as to what actually lay under the dense smoke. Right now though they could see nothing more than what Vis had already described.

Looked like there was nothing else for it; they'd have to wait until the fire burned the last of its fuel before they could find out more. There was no way they could tackle a fire that huge and ferocious.

By now, most of the mechanics were asleep in their beds at home. Keira though was walking through the city, unsure of what to do now. She could head home and wait until the evening, but there wouldn't be much excitement in that. But then she thought she'd better check out the entrance to the forest and if it really was accessible.

She moved around where the Baron's old palace once stood tall and proud. It had been a landmark and a symbol of great power in the old city, but now it was nothing more than an empty square of concrete. The area had been secured and roped off, and now only Freedom Guards and Precurian historians who were studying the passage to the planet's inner defence system were allowed in there.

Parts of the old bazaar were also uncovered, and were now made publically accessible again. Plans about what to actually do with it had not yet been solidified, because even though it had been cleared up a lot, it was in no state to resume its role as a giant food market. Not yet.

Walking through it, Keira came to the old gardens. These were a vital part in the city's agriculture, because here grew the giant vegetables and plants that many citizens lived on. Already things had been replanted and were growing again. There were even a few farmers around tending to the crops. The path led onwards around a corner, and there in the city wall was a small door. 'That must be it!' thought Keira, and walked closer. It didn't look off limits, and there were no guards around.

When she got near to the door, it opened automatically and she stepped through it. She was a little bit nervous as she waited for the second door to open, standing in the small room as it clanked and hissed. Was this the right place? Had Jak really got rid of all the Metal Heads, or would they be waiting for her on the other side? She hadn't been outside the city much, and was unsure of what to expect.

When the door opened, she stepped through cautiously onto a grass-covered ledge at the bottom of an old grey valley. Ahead of her was a deep crevasse, and to her right was a small warp gate, still humming with activity. Higher up the rock face was another one, which she thought must be linked to the other. It certainly fitted the descriptions Jak had recounted to her. This was definitely the right place.

Keira walked over to the warp gate, and seeing no danger about it, quickly stepped through. With a blue shimmer she materialised high on the cliff by the other gate. She turned around and beheld the amazing view of the city in the near distance. She'd never seen it from this perspective before. "This spot would make a great view-point," she said to herself, "Maybe the Freedom League could do something with this place? Make it more of an attraction for the people, perhaps."

She looked below her and saw the first warp gate she'd jumped through, now seeming small and far away. Taking a last long look at the city view, she walked on down the path that led deeper into the old mountain temple complex.

The place looked empty enough, and Keira saw no immediate sign of danger. Straight to her right was another deep crevasse, and beyond that was the unmistakable shine of the orange Precursor metal she had often seen in her childhood around her old village. It was a smallish building with a single room, and it was already being reclaimed by the forest as plants grew all over it. Looking down the pit in front of her, Keira knew she couldn't cross it; it was too wide a gap.

Straight ahead was another large gorge, but this one formed the start of a massive valley, and before her was the entire mountain temple, glistening in the afternoon sun among the trees. What a beautiful place this was, thought Keira. She took a long time admiring this wonderful sight, but then realised she could go no further. There was no way down to the temple from where she was.

What a blow, she thought. She'd come all this way to find the forest entrance and this was all she was able to get to. She sat down feeling a little dejected, and just continued watching the scenery from her high position in the valley. Still, this was a good place. The view alone was worth coming to see, if nothing else.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-8-327094620]**_

She picked up a stone that lay beside her and tossed it over the cliff, listening to it clacking away on the rocks below, and echoing all through the chasm. Its fall disturbed a flock of birds that must have been nesting in the cliff face, and they all shot away in panic. They soared upwards right in front of Keira, and then scattered immediately over her head in a flurry of feathers and wind. She threw up her hands to protect herself, and tried to move out of the way into the shelter of the rocks to her left. The birds caused a disturbance of their own in the rocks above her, and some came tumbling down, landing only a few inches from her toes. Keira cowered in fear as rocks continued to fall, and kept as close to the wall as she could, until the skies finally cleared and the birds all returned down the canyon to their nests.

Keira crawled away from the wall slowly, keeping her eyes skyward for signs of any more rocks that may still be loose above. No more came, and she got back to her feet, looking around nervously. Then she felt a great sense of relief that the ordeal was finally over, but followed almost immediately by a feeling of despondency. She'd come up here, unable to find a way into the old buildings or the forest, and had nearly got injured or killed by a raging flock of birds. She felt as if there was nothing more to do but head back now; at least she had two great views to behold up here, and they were worth coming back to this evening with Azyma and Tess.

But as she was leaving, her eyes caught sight of something odd. The falling rocks had revealed a hidden piece of metal in the cliffs above her, and it reflected the sun down onto the grass, thus it had caught her attention. She looked up at it, and wondered what it could be. It looked like some sort of switch, or a pressure plate of some sort. She had no idea what it was doing up there or how it could possibly be used by anyone, but it intrigued her.

Picking up another small stone, she aimed high and cast it towards the metal area. She missed, and nimbly stepped out of the way as the stone came back down. She picked up a slightly bigger one and threw again. This time she hit it, and the strike knocked the metal inwards with a heavy clunk. There was a rumble in the ground, and Keira feared another rockslide, and sought shelter under a large tree that grew nearby. More rocks fell, but then in the wall ahead of her, a section of rock fell away, revealing a dark opening about four feet high. The rumbling stopped, and all fell quiet.

Keira stepped out from under the tree, and drew closer to the passage that had opened. She looked cautiously inside, but it was too dark to see anything. Keira wondered what could lie down there, and how old this passage was. Judging by the switch in the cliff side, she believed it to be an old Precursor passage, which had laid hidden for who knew how long. Was this the first time it had been uncovered?

A huge sense of adventure and discovery suddenly pulsed through her. This was somewhere new to explore for this evening. She'd have to bring some more equipment though, like a light for one thing to explore this dark tunnel.

She smiled to herself excitedly, and then rushed back along the path and through the portal back home. As she ran, all manner of thoughts went racing through her mind. Maybe that old tunnel could lead into a new area of the forest that had not yet been uncovered? Who knows what they might find there? Keira couldn't wait to find out.


	9. The Forest's Secrets

It was early evening, and Keira was waiting with great anticipation in the front room of her house. Only a few hours ago she had returned from her discovery in the forest and had begun making the necessary preparations for the return visit. Many times she had checked and re-checked her bag for the items she needed: a torch, some food and a drink, some rope and some binoculars. The bag now lay by the front door, and Keira was sitting on the couch in the main room not far away, waiting for the arrival of Tess and Azyma, who had both agreed to join her that night for the return to the forest. Though they had not given an exact time, Keira had long been ready. She just wanted to get straight back there and find out what was down that hidden passage.

But she was loyal and did not wish to depart without her friends. Just in case they did run into any danger out there, they'd have greater safety in a group.

Keira had also left a note for Samos should he return. That was resting on the staircase ahead from the front door; somewhere he'd be sure to see it. The thought of exactly what he was up to at Freedom HQ had not remained absent from her mind. Several times she found herself speculating about the reason, but she could always ask him when he returned if need be.

As night drew close and the street lights switched on, Keira began to grow a little impatient. She had waited longer than she actually needed to, and her friends did not know about her discovery yet and had no reason to rush, even though they were planning to close early. Business had been light that day anyway, and by the time Tess and Azyma were finally ready to head out, there was hardly anyone there. Therefore they could close up with confidence and go to Keira's house.

Keira herself was still in her front room waiting when she saw them walk past the window. She leapt up and had opened the front door before they'd even knocked.

"You ready?" asked Keira, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Yeah, the Naughty Ottsel's all closed up now," said Tess, "Turned out it wasn't that busy this evening."

"I've brought some things that might be useful," said Azyma, pulling some items out of her own bag to show to Keira. She'd brought many of the same things Keira had packed. What she didn't show her though was that she'd also brought her gun, tucked neatly into her belt. It wasn't that she didn't trust Keira when she said there'd probably be no more Metal Heads in the forest, but she didn't feel quite safe without it, not after what had happened to her three nights ago.

"Alright, let's go then!" said Keira excitedly, and she joined them outside and locked the door behind her.

"It feels so great to be going on an adventure!" said Tess, "This is so exciting!"

Keira and Azyma both smiled, and felt a real sense of companionship being together. Then Tess asked the question. "Hey Keira, can I ride on your shoulder?"

Keira looked down at her. Then her smile widened, and turned into a laugh as the full meaning of those words sank in. 'Why not?' she thought.

"Come on then!" she said, full of excitement, and crouched down a little, but Tess had already sprung up using her lightning Ottsel agility and had gained a balance on Keira's right shoulder.

"Wow!" she said, as Keira stood up to her full height again, "I really feel like Daxter up here!"

Azyma couldn't resist laughing at them. "You look just like them now!" she said.

"Ow! Mind the claws!" said Keira.

"Sorry," said Tess, and carefully repositioned her feet. Perching on someone's shoulder wasn't as easy as Daxter made it out to look, but then again Keira was not wearing a shoulder plate like Jak always did, which may have contributed to that.

The three of them headed westwards through the streets, talking and laughing as they went. It was as if they had completely forgotten all of the unfortunate things that had happened to them over the past year, and they were finally getting the chance to enjoy themselves again. Keira and Tess could for a short time no longer worry about the loss of their friends, and Azyma had abandoned her concerns of the mysterious man who had assaulted her.

None of these terrible things were in their minds that evening, and they felt much lighter in spirit now they were not hampered by distressing pressures. There was no need to return to the pub or get to work at the Freedom Building; they had the night completely to themselves.

Soon, they had arrived at the city wall, and the door to the Mountain Temple stood before them. "Here we are," said Keira, who had not yet informed her friends of her discovery in the high cliff earlier, "This is the way to the forest."

All three of them approached it, and the doors clanked and hissed open. They stepped inside, and very shortly later were standing on the grassy ledge of the lower valley. Tess and Azyma, who had not been out here before, looked up in amazement, completely missing the warp gate to their right. They were too captivated by the great rocks that rose around them, and the mighty trees that grew on their summits.

Keira brought them back to their senses, and pointed out the warp gate hidden in the shade under the boughs of the tree by the wall. It glowed eerily in the dark of the valley with a blue emanation, and for a brief moment they all stood staring at it. Then Tess jumped down from Keira's shoulder and approached it.

"These things look much bigger now," she said, but of course, the reasons for that were obvious.

"You ever been through one of these before?" Keira asked Azyma.

"No," was the answer, "I've heard about them before but never been through one." This was not unexpected of her as she had not had many of the privileges her friends had seen in the past, and therefore had not gained access to those places that had these warp gates, most notably the Freedom Building.

"They're nothing to worry about," Keira reassured her, "They just tingle a bit."

Catching a fresh grip on her bag, she demonstrated the use of the warp gate by stepping through it. The others didn't quite know where she was now, but then they heard her voice from above them. "Yoo-hoo!"

They looked up, and saw Keira kneeling over another ledge higher up, and waving down at them. Tess and Azyma looked at each other, and then jumped through together. Not a moment later they came tumbling out of the second warp gate in a pile on the grass in front of Keira, and Tess now lay sprawled across Azyma's chest. Keira couldn't resist laughing, and was soon joined by the others.

"That was fun!" said Azyma. Her head was spinning a little from the teleportation, but she barely noticed it over her excitement.

When at last they had regained their footing and their humour had receded, Keira pointed out the view behind them. "Turn around."

Both Tess and Azyma were entranced by the sight of the city illuminated in its own radiance. Even Keira herself, who had already seen it earlier that day, felt a new sense of wonder as she viewed it again. It was a clear evening, and the moon was already rising over the sight of where the Baron's old palace used to stand.

"Hey, there's my house!" said Azyma, pointing towards the Slums.

"And there's the Naughty Ottsel!" said Tess.

They could have continued playing spot-the-landmark all night, but Keira reminded them of the reason why they'd originally come here. Leaving the view of the city behind, they continued down the short path to the end of the cliffs, where the great gorge of the mountain valley yawned open before them. The temple complex itself was lit up by its undying lamps that were built into its walls and ceilings, and it looked very inviting to the three friends. But of course, there was no way down there, and Tess and Azyma soon noticed that Keira was not standing with them anymore.

Turning around, they saw her in the shadows rustling in her bag for her torch. She was standing before a low passage in the rocks which they had completely failed to see in the darkness, and had walked right past. They rejoined her.

"What have you found?" they asked.

"I came here earlier in the day to check out the place and look for a way down into the forest," Keira explained, "But I couldn't find one. But I did find this, hidden under the rocks when I hit that switch up there." Azyma and Tess looked up and could just about make out the button she mentioned higher on the rocks. "I want to see where it leads. We can't go any other way except back through the warp gate from up here anyway."

Finding her torch, Keira shone it down the tunnel entrance while Tess and Azyma looked on. Inside it was dry and bare, and it continued deeper into the mountainside straight ahead, so far that Keira's light didn't reach the end and was lost in the blackness.

The two others saw this as well, and felt a little uneasy about going in there. They were concerned mostly about how safe it was, and what would happen if they got stuck. What if they got lost down there?

"Looks like it extends towards the city," said Keira, and thumped the inner wall of the entrance, "And it looks well supported. I wonder where it goes. Let's go guys."

Keira bent down and took a step inside, but Azyma stopped her. "Keira, wait. I mean, are you sure you know what you're doing? Look at this thing. I don't like it."

Tess said nothing, but silently agreed with Azyma.

"Look, this is something completely new here," Keira said, "We're probably the first people to ever go down here. Don't you want to know what's at the other end? Come on, and I promise, any sign of danger and we're heading straight out again. OK?"

Keira eventually managed to persuade her friends to come with her, and one by one, they crawled into the dark passageway and towards whatever secrets lay ahead. Only Tess didn't have a light, and of course she was small enough to walk upright in here, but she stayed close to Keira before her, not wanting to get separated at all. Azyma's light beam shone over her head, and occasionally flicked over to the walls. Azyma herself was checking for any signs of bugs or cracks, and often looked back over her shoulder as the entrance they'd come through got further and further away. She did not feel comfortable at all, but didn't speak.

Keira led the way, and kept her eyes forward. Her feet shuffled along a dusty grey floor, which started to slope downwards at a smooth angle. Ahead of her, all she could see was more darkness, even with her torch shining straight into it. This was a blackness that light could not deeply penetrate, and it came with an unpleasant humidity. Not for a long time had this passage seen the flow of water through the impermeable rock layer that formed it.

Now clear out of sight of the entrance and after a number of twists and turns, the three friends began to wonder whether this tunnel would ever end. Still they said nothing to one another, and just continued straight on. The only sound was the shuffle of their feet... until another faint sound made itself gradually known. It made Keira stop, and they all listened. It sounded like water.

"Do you hear that?" whispered Keira, speaking for the first time since their dark and cramped journey began.

"Yes," said Azyma. Tess heard it too, and when they recommenced their movement, it began to grow louder. Azyma also thought she could hear voices among it, or was that just her mind playing tricks on her in the dark?

After another minute, Keira could go no further; there was a large rock in the way.

"Now what?" asked Tess.

Keira turned around to face her friends, and sat down to rest her back against the rock. "Well," she said, "This looks like the end of the tunnel. I guess that's all there is here then. Let's head back."

She was disappointed, but as she spoke these words, her weight against the rock began to slowly shift it. She felt this, and immediately turned around again.

"Wait!" she said, "It moved!" She tried pushing it again, and it moved some more. "Hey, give me a hand with this!"

Tess squeezed past Keira and did what she could to help, and Azyma reached forward an arm over Keira's shoulder to push against the rock as well. Their combined efforts began to pay off, and very soon, they were greeted by a breath of cool air on their faces, which refreshed them after what seemed like such a long time in the tunnel's stale atmosphere. Some more pushing later and the tunnel widened out, and then tufts of flattened grass appeared on the floor by their feet. Then, the rock would move no more. They were outside now, and had shifted the rock clear out of the tunnel until it rested against another one on the other side of it. Above their heads now were trees, and the watery sound they had heard inside was now much louder and clearer. It came from a waterfall to their left, which poured into a stream and sprayed a gentle mist over them. Straight ahead past the rock lay more trees and plants and greenery, illuminated by beams of moonlight through the canopy. This was it; they had made it to the forest.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-9-328571634]**_

They crawled out into the air and stood up again, and they felt the cramp in their muscles after spending so long crouched down in the tunnel. They slowly looked around in silence. The forest was dimly lit in the night, but they could see enough with their torches and with their eyes adjusted to the darkness. All around, the air was filled with the sounds of running water, gentle wind in the leaves and small nocturnal animals going about their business. Over on the very far left was a great shadow, the grey wall of the city. And straight ahead through the pleasant gloom could be seen an old Precursor gateway in the rocks, which quietly glowed of its own power. That led to another deeper part of the magnificent forest, but the three girls were still taking in what they could see immediately around them.

After a long time, Keira turned to her friends and smiled. Then they laughed and hugged each other and jumped in the air and screamed in excitement. They'd made it! They'd found a way into the forest! And now they were here, they had the whole place to themselves... hopefully.

"What a place!" said Azyma, "I've never been out here before. Great idea, Keira!" This was actually the very first time she had ever left the city, and was full of excitement at the concept of it all. Her parents had always told her that outside the city was a dangerous place, and all through her life she had been kept behind the safety of its walls. What she'd been told had been true back then, but now things had changed. Regardless, she still felt as if she was breaking a long-set rule, but all feelings of fear and disloyalty were subdued by her sheer happiness of being out here in such a lovely place with her friends.

"Let's have a look around," said Keira, as Tess jumped back onto her shoulder. Therefore they set off into the dark with their torches, stepping carefully and quietly across of the forest floor. What they could find looked much the same as the rest, but they followed the course of the stream, which they designated their pathway back to the tunnel should they get lost. Deeper into the trees they went, and eventually they came to the orange Precursor arch. They stood on the metal floor under its light, which shone down on them from its undying and self-powering source at its apex embedded in the rocks.

Through the arch a short but high tunnel led into another part of the forest. Not even the arch's brightness would light this path. The river flowed into rocks off to the left, reduced to a narrow stream, and from standing under the arch and listening carefully, it could be heard to re-emerge somewhere into the darkness and continue its course into the heart of the woods. The girls felt uneasy following it into complete blackness, even with torches, especially Azyma; even though she was overcoming her fears of leaving the city, there was still something that remained which told her she should be afraid. She was not used to such pure darkness, having grown up in the city where it was never totally dark.

"We need to come back here in the day time," she suggested, "Then we can have a proper look around."

Keira was still feeling inquisitive though, and shone her torch into the passageway. She tried following the wall with her light, but soon it would illuminate nothing further. The same thing happened when she tried following the floor. Tess remained quiet on her shoulder.

Azyma looked back the way they'd come, and saw the grass and the tree roots lit up by the faint beams of moonlight that seemed to burst through the upper branches. Then she began to feel hot. Was it her nerves starting to play up? It was a warm night, with very little wind and cloud cover, and she was dressed up quite well. Maybe it was an effect of the forest air?

She rolled up her sleeves and spoke again. "Keira, let's have a rest somewhere. I feel like I need a sit down."

Keira turned around. "You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, just a bit tired, that's all."

"OK, let's go and sit by the river," said Keira, and they began following its course back the way they had walked. It wasn't long before they were back at the waterfall again, and they felt its mist wash over them. It was a refreshing feeling, and they sat on a nearby rock together so they could cool off in its gentle spray. They had chosen one right under a beam of moonlight, so they needn't have their torches on. They switched them off and sat in the natural ambient light, and through the trees before them they could see the great outline of the city wall against the sky.

Tess lay flat on the rock and closed her eyes, arms outstretched. "This is a wonderful place!" she said, revelling in the experience. "Right now I could just lie here forever."

"Glad we came here?" asked Keira.

Both Tess and Azyma agreed. The still air and the sound of the waterfall had already made them lapse into a suggestive state of mind, and they were all beginning to feel very sleepy. But they didn't have a care in the world, just sitting there in the moonlight and listening to the sounds of nature all around them.

"Strange effect this place has on you..." muttered Azyma, as she began to doze.

"Mmm hmm," Keira hummed, but she hadn't listened to what Azyma had just said. Her head was beginning to nod as well and things were growing darker around her. It was an inviting darkness, and Keira thought she heard faint music coming with it. After that she remembered nothing more and was asleep.


	10. A Father's Disapproval

The next thing Keira was aware of, she was lying on her side in damp grass in the sunlight. Opening her eyes slowly, she found she was looking at the trunk of a mighty tree right before her, its roots covered in dark moss. Behind her the waterfall still poured into the stream, and as she got herself up onto one elbow, she could see it still flowing past her not too far away, cool and clear.

Her thoughts then turned to the previous night. She remembered sitting on the rock, but after that it was mostly a haze. Quite clearly she'd fallen asleep suddenly and unexpectedly, and now it was morning. Looking around, she could see the rock behind her. Tess was curled up on top, and Azyma was sitting against it with her knees tucked up to provide support for her head. Both were still sleeping undisturbed.

Keira slowly stood up. Looking down at her clothes, she could see they were pretty damp from the all-night spray of the waterfall, and slightly dusty from the crawl through the tunnel before that. She sighed to herself quietly, and then noticed her torch lying on the ground next to her, which she picked up and placed into her bag still strapped to her back.

Then she beheld the glory of the forest in daylight. It was a deep green hue all over, and the trees were alive with birds that chirped in many varied and beautiful tunes. Giant leaves and plants littered the ground, creating a dancing movement throughout the forest as they swayed in the breeze. Ahead the archway still glowed in the distance, and seemed to merge in with the natural scenery all around it. Over on the left was the big grey wall of the city, which Keira thought really spoiled the place.

"Daddy would love it here," she said to herself.

Behind her, she heard a yawn. Tess had just awakened, and was stretching out on the rock. Then she saw Keira through one eye.

"Hiya," she whispered, "What happened to us last night?"

"I have no idea," said Keira, "All of a sudden I just felt really tired and couldn't stay awake any longer. Strange effect this place has on people..."

Tess nodded, and then suddenly leapt up. "Oh my god! What time is it?"

Neither of them knew.

"I've got to open the bar!" Tess said, and scrambled off the rock. She unwittingly fell right on top of Azyma, who was startled out of her sleep to find an orange furry blur right in her face. She screamed and pushed Tess off from her onto the grass. Tess looked up at her with an annoyed face.

"Sorry Tess!" said Azyma upon grasping the situation, but then her attention was drawn to something else. "Oh no! Look at us! We're filthy!"

"Never mind that, sweetie!" said Tess frantically, "We've got to get back and open the Naughty Ottsel!"

Azyma clambered to her feet and followed Tess back towards the tunnel behind the rock. But just before they disappeared from sight, they remembered that Keira was still standing by the rock. She had an ironic smile on her face, and didn't show any signs that she was going to follow them. No words were said, but Keira looked back towards the archway in the distance, gesturing she was going to explore the dark passage they came to last night now that it was day time. Then she gave a sarcastic wave goodbye to her friends before they disappeared for good back up the small tunnel, leaving herself standing alone among the trees. She cared less than Azyma did about the fact that she was slightly wet and dirty, and didn't feel like leaving the forest just yet. Her curiosity was getting the better of her, and she once again marched on back into the depths of the greenery.

Following the night path they had trodden, Keira made her way back to the arch they had stood under and peered into the darkness. The forest seemed like a whole new place now it was bathed in radiant morning light, and much of the detail that had been obscured in the black was now fully visible, and Keira felt almost as if she was back in the environment of her old village, where she was always surrounded by nature's kind embrace. The pureness of the air, far from the city's fumes, felt refreshing and pleasant on her face and in her lungs.

Upon reaching the archway, she looked around the corner again to see what lay beyond. Sure enough, it was another pathway leading to another open area of woodland. Ahead the stream trickled out from the rock wall and continued on its slow course, and Keira headed straight towards it. She followed it around into the next area of forest, and found herself staring at a great open lake which was fed by the stream. It bubbled and rippled its way in, turning a deep blue colour.

For what seemed like quite a long time to her, Keira stood and just looked. When she returned to her senses, she noticed to her immediate right, a peculiar formation in the rock wall. It almost looked like a natural staircase which led up onto a grass bank a little higher, but was worn and as old as the ancient trees all around. Keira instinctively tried climbing it, and did so with no significant ease, but scrambled onto the top and was able to get a fuller view of what lay beyond the lake. From up on the bank, she could see that the lake was not as big as it had first appeared, and did indeed end not too far away. Beyond that of course lay more trees, ones which seemed older than the rest and looked much darker in the bark. They grew thicker with distance too.

Keira sat down and without withdrawing her gaze, reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of fruit, which she bit into and began munching. She wondered whether any fruits grew here in the forest, and if they did, whether they were edible. Quietly thinking and eating, she looked once again into the depths of the trees over the lake, trying to make out what was on the other side of them. But it was no good. The only way to find out would be to get over there and see, but Keira could see no way of actually doing that without crossing the lake and getting wet, as the grass bank she was on ended just a few feet away, and the rest of the rock wall that extended around to the side was too smooth to get a hold on, so climbing around was out of the question. She didn't mind swimming of course, but not with her bag full of provisions. And even though there was nobody else around here, she didn't feel comfortable about leaving it unattended. It could wait, she thought, she was sure to come back here another time, and then she could investigate further once she was properly prepared for lake traversal.

She lay down on her back, and looked up at the leaves in the branches above her. This time she took greater care to pay more attention to her consciousness while resting, lest she suddenly and unexpectedly fall asleep again. The atmosphere of the forest was so calm and relaxing, it was possible to sleep at any time of day even if you weren't tired. But all she did was keep her eyes open and her mind clear and just take in the sound of the wind in the trees and the water in the stream. Shadows swayed around her and the sun crawled across the blue sky, as she just lay there and did nothing.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-10-329326223]**_

She also thought about Tess and Azyma. They'd be back at the pub by now and serving drinks as usual. She must bring them back here another evening, she thought. They've just got to see this place. She was already planning the next trip out here, whenever that would end up being. She also thought about Samos. Being in this forest conjured an image of his face in her mind, but she had no knowledge of exactly what he was doing right now. She hadn't seen him for a few days. Likely he was caught up in some 'pressing business' over at the Freedom HQ building. She never really cared about the politics of the city or the goings-on in the offices upstairs, even though Jak himself held a rather important position there.

Jak...

His face suddenly swam into Keira's mind, looking at her with a longing gleam in his eyes, and it was all she could think of now. Unfortunately she kept seeing Daxter's corny features pop up around Jak's head as well, but she dismissed them and kept focussed on Jak. Then she felt cold and alone. The breeze in the forest now seemed much sharper on her skin, and the light around her seemed less radiant. No matter how hard she tried to resist it, Jak's face began to fade from her mind's eye, and soon he was gone again. Not even Daxter remained.

"Where are you?" Keira sighed to herself, and rolled over onto her side to bury her face in her arms. There she stayed, no longer caring about falling asleep anymore. She hardly moved and kept her mind blank, but did not fall asleep. As she lay there, a gap in the canopy created a beam of light onto the ground close by, and as it moved with the sun it eventually found its way to her head, and this is what roused her. She shook off the heaviness in her mind and sat back up again.

The experiences she was having in this forest were just getting stranger by the second. Time to leave now, she thought. There was only enough relaxation and day dreaming you could take before getting a little tired with it all. Retracing her steps, she returned to the hidden tunnel and retrieved her torch from her bag. Before leaving, she took a last silent look at the forest and then crawled back into the tunnel, pulling the rock behind her as far as she could to block up the passage again. She felt as if this was something to be kept secret; as far as she knew nobody else had been down there apart from herself, Azyma and Tess.

Back up through the tunnel she went and emerged through the entrance at the top of the valley. She found some amply sized rocks to block it up again, just in case anyone came up here and found it. Afterwards she took the opportunity to inspect herself and see just how dirty she had actually got crawling through that passage. She would definitely need a shower that evening, though the interesting thing was that she'd have to walk through the city looking like this. But she didn't care if she got a few strange looks from passers-by; she was content right now with the discovery of her special place in the forest.

Before she left she took another last look from the viewpoints. She used her binoculars to scan the city, trying to see if she could spot the people on the streets. She also took the opportunity to peer over at the Freedom HQ building to maybe spot some clues as to what was going on in there. Unfortunately she didn't see anything, and when she was ready, leapt back through the warp gate and rematerialised back at the bottom of the gorge.

When she got home and walked into the front room, Samos was waiting there, which was a nice surprise for Keira. She smiled as she walked in, and her father was completely indifferent about seeing her walk in through the door in a grubby state; she did after all work in the garage at the Freedom HQ building, and often came home looking a little worse for wear. But this time was a little different. He knew that all of the mechanics had been sent home the previous day, and the garage still had not been re-opened yet, therefore he was curious to find out where she had actually been.

"Daddy!" said Keira as she came in, glad to finally see him again.

"My girl!" he answered, equally grateful.

Keira asked her question first. "What's been going on at HQ? Has something happened?"

Samos exhaled slowly. "Yes, something has happened," he said with an ambiguous tone. "I'm afraid I can't reveal much at this time without great certainty, not even to you, Keira. This is strictly confidential."

"Alright," said Keira quietly as she put down her bag. She was actually a little disappointed; she thought she would get a more satisfying answer than that. But it did make her think about what was really happening. She respected her father's wishes though, having learned to look up to him throughout her life, and he was the most important man in the city right now.

"What about you?" he asked, "Have you managed to keep yourself busy?"

"Yeah," answered Keira, "The hangar was shut so I couldn't go to work in there like normal..."

"Yes, it was meant to be closed," said Samos.

"...So instead I went out with Tess and Azyma last night to make the most of the day off."

"Weren't they busy running Daxter's bar?"

"No, they closed early yesterday, just for the occasion," Keira explained.

"Oh, where did you go then?" asked Samos.

"We went out to the Precursor Mountain Temple and had a look around. It was really nice there."

Samos's face turned blank and he immediately stopped smiling. This surprised Keira and for a moment she didn't know what to say next. And then Samos blurted out, "What? Keira, it's not safe out there! You know we haven't fully checked the area for hostilities yet!"

Keira was a little shocked by the sudden mood whiplash in her father, and tried to respond as calmly as possible. "Daddy, I'm fine. We didn't see anything out there. It's..."

"But that doesn't mean you can go waltzing on out there unprotected!" Samos interrupted. "What if you got lost or hurt and needed to be rescued?"

"Daddy, I can look after myself," Keira retorted, "Besides, there were three of us out there together, and I'm sure we could've..."

"That's not the point!" Samos interrupted again, thumping his walking stick on the floor, "It's outside the city walls and beyond our control! With all the trouble we've been having in this war, we can't have people wandering freely in and out of the city until we know it's safe, least of all MY DAUGHTER!"

Keira couldn't help now but express her frustration at her father's over-protectiveness. "Daddy, nothing happened to us! Look, I made it back here OK, didn't I? I think it's about time you stopped worrying about me so much and just let me enjoy myself once in a while! We were just exploring!"

"You can enjoy yourself without leaving the city next time!" said Samos, "All last night I didn't know where you were!"

Keira scoffed. "I left you a note, didn't I? Didn't you read that?"

"You said nothing about leaving the city limits. I assumed you were out somewhere in the city where it's safe, and that's where you should be!"

"But you love the forest, Daddy!" protested Keira, "I thought you said you were sending a team out there to secure it for you!"

"There is a right time for everything, Keira," he argued, "Right now we're preoccupied with what's going on with the war, and there's no time to think about such matters right now. Now enough! I do not want to hear any more about it!"

"But Daddy..."

"I said ENOUGH! I have spoken!"

Keira looked at him with bitterness in her eyes, but Samos returned the cold look with one of his own, signifying the conversation was over. Keira clenched her teeth and kicked the wall in anger, and then swore loudly from both rage and the pain. Though greatly shocked by his daughter's behaviour, Samos remained unresponsive and stood still as a statue as Keira stomped past him and up the stairs.

He remained where he was until he heard the door slam, and then relaxed his muscles, releasing the tension. He opened his clenched hand and let Keira's screwed-up note fall to the floor, and then sighed heavily. Then he shut himself in his plant room to meditate on this experience.


	11. In the Heat of Darkness

Keira stood under the shower, no longer as angry as she had once been. It was now night, and she had spent all afternoon hiding in her bedroom, fuming with rage and sobbing into her pillow. She just couldn't believe that right now, when she'd found a special and exciting new place all of her own, her father was forbidding her to go there. It was more than she could bear. His over-protectiveness was getting too much for her.

Having vented her anger in her bedroom and feeling less like crying now, she finally got up and checked the time. Late evening. She'd been up there just sulking for hours, no wonder she was hungry. She'd hardly eaten anything all day, and now she needed some nourishment. She looked around for her bag, and then sighed; it was still downstairs. Luckily she kept a small reserve of provisions in her cupboard, just in case for some reason she was ever unable to leave her room. She helped herself to her stores and sat down on the bed, just looking around at the various items on the floor. It was littered with clothes and paper and books that had been left open; she really needed to tidy up in here at some point, she thought.

The light from the streets outside came in through the window, and it was her only source of illumination right now. Her room was dimly lit as she sat and ate, but it was enough to make out the dirty smudge she had left on her bed sheets from all the dirt on her clothes as she lay there. Crawling over, she pulled them off the bed and tossed them into the corner of the room where other laundry lay. She'd get it cleaned eventually.

After that she had got up and decided that it was now definitely time for a shower, and there she now stood under the warm cascade in the cubicle. It paled in comparison to the cool refreshing feel of the waterfall out in the forest, but at least she was clean now.

Stepping out of the shower and reaching for her towel, she caught sight of a peculiar glow through the patterned window of the bathroom. It was not the usual glow of the city lights which were clear and bright, this one seemed distant and red. She stood right by the window now and peered through the thick glass, but the blurred design made acuity impossible.

Then it hit her. What had the city had to deal with almost every day for the last year? Fire!

Keira dashed straight out of the bathroom, still dripping wet, across the landing and into her own bedroom, where she leapt onto her bed and caught hold of the window frame, nearly flying right out of her open window with her momentum. Sure enough, away in the south of the city, huge orange flames were dancing in the distance. Keira stared in horror as she realised what was burning: that smoke was coming right from the place where the Naughty Ottsel stood!

She had to get over there and help her friends!

As fast as lighting, she flung open her wardrobe and yanked out the nearest set of clothes. Hastily hopping into some summer shorts, she rushed out of her room the moment she'd got them on, and steamed headlong down the stairs whilst simultaneously pulling her shirt over her soaking hair and shouting, "Daddy! The city's on fire!" But with her shirt over her head she missed a step and went tumbling down the stairs in mid-shout. Samos was disturbed by the loud thump in the next room, but by the time he'd come out to investigate, Keira had already got back up and had run outside, leaving the front door wide open. He looked out and just caught sight of her before she disappeared around a corner, barefooted and wet hair flailing.

"KEIRA!" he shouted, wondering what on earth she was doing. Then he saw the black smoke rising up from behind the buildings, blacker than the night sky. "Oh no, not here too!" he half-whispered to himself.

Keira had injured herself in the fall, and kept one hand clutched at her ribs in a futile attempt to abate the pain. Her ankle was throbbing too, and stung painfully every time she took a step with it, but she kept on running as fast as her injuries allowed her. For the second time that day, she received many strange looks from passers-by as she made her way through the city, but this time she cared even less what they were thinking, and in fact paid no attention to them at all. All she knew was that she had to get to the Naughty Ottsel and help her friends.

As she got closer to the port, she encountered many other people running the other way, and she was bumped into frequent times, and with her bad ankle she was nearly knocked to the ground. When at last the way seemed clear, she turned a corner and was in the port. On the other side of the water the pub was blazing, and though almost exhausted, she summoned forth her last energy and ran. She arrived at the scene completely breathless, and found Tess staring up at the flames from a safe distance on the street, completely helpless. The giant mechanical Daxter statue over the door was wrapped in fire and slowly melting, and the door itself was obscured by the smoke pouring out of it.

The sight was overwhelming. For both Keira and Tess, it felt as if a large and important part of their life was dying right before their eyes. Tess could not move her feet and found herself rooted to the spot, staring up at the fire's terrible awe. There were tears in her eyes, which blurred the image of the flames, creating a misty orange scene in front of her, which glistened in the shards of broken glass littering the pavement. Keira stepped forward to stand with her, but she didn't even turn her head. Keira found it difficult to say anything to her for a while. They stood just out of range of danger, but could still feel the heat from the burning building.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-11-330359852]**_

At last, Keira said something.

"How did this happen?"

Tess was drawn out of her trance by the familiar yet distant voice. She looked up at Keira, and the look in her eyes showed an unbearable sadness. She was too distraught to even reply.

Then there was a commotion in the pub doorway. A coughing, bleeding figure came stumbling through the dense smoke, face shielded with one arm, and the other extended outwards. Now outside, the figure took a huge inhalation and revealed its blackened face; it was Azyma!

With that one deep breath, she seemed to stand in stillness amid the chaos, and then her white eyes went completely blank. Keira watched in anxiety as she wobbled on the spot for a moment, and then with horror as she fell face forwards straight into the broken glass.

Keira acted on impulse and raced to the rescue. She skipped from one foot to the other, trying not to step in any of the debris. She failed though, and got a piece of glass stuck in the sensitive sole of her foot. Limping along as fast as she could, she reached Azyma and tried to rouse her. It was no good; she was out cold. Mustering all of her strength, Keira lifted her up and let her fall onto her shoulders. It was no easy task to carry her back to safety, least of all with only one good foot. Keira struggled, but made it just before another inferno raged through the roof of the building with a thunderous roar. The fire had reached all the booze, and had triggered an explosion. A new wave of heat surged over the three friends, and their safe position was no longer quite so safe.

"We've got to move further away!" groaned Keira, and found herself having to coax Tess to follow her as she carried Azyma. Tess semi-lucidly complied and staggered after her as if in a daze. With her head bowed and her back aching from the weight of her burden, Keira began to find it hard to see exactly where she was going. Then the ground became brighter around her feet, and since she could no longer feel the heat of the fire, stopped there and carefully placed Azyma down on the concrete. They were right under a street light.

Keira pulled the glass out of her foot and tossed it away. She looked behind her to see if Tess was still there, and to her relief she was, following her bloody footprints. She had sat down and was looking back towards the burning building. Keira looked over Azyma and tried once again to awaken her. She wasn't stirring at all. She had burns on her arms and her face, her clothes were tattered and scorched, and she was covered in cuts and scratches from her fall onto the glass.

Keira's emotions started to run wild as she continued trying to awaken her friend, and she grew more and more distressed as she continually got no response from her.

"AZYMA! Wake up!" she shouted.

Then things grew darker, and a shadow fell over them. Keira looked up and saw Samos standing next to her. A grave look was on his face at the sight of the sorry group; Azyma lying motionless, Tess sitting unresponsive, and Keira a frantic, tearful wreck.

"Daddy!" she pleaded, "You've got to help her!"

Acting immediately, Samos leaned in closer and slowly waved a hand over Azyma's face. Ethereal green energy flowed from his palm and seeped into Azyma's wounds, which slowly closed up and healed without leaving so much as a scar. The burns on her face became less pronounced, but did not completely vanish. Keira watched nervously as her father's hand then swept down the rest of Azyma's body. Azyma coughed violently and then started breathing rapidly as the smoke was dissipated from her lungs by the green eco and she struggled to regain air.

Keira was a little worried though when she did not regain consciousness.

"She'll recover soon," said Samos reassuringly, "We've got to get her somewhere safe now."

Very soon the Freedom League arrived. As the city's all-purpose guardians, they came ready with fire-fighting equipment, and battled with the blaze. Others were there on hand to give medical assistance to those who needed it, but apart from a small number of citizens who had escaped major harm, Azyma was the only one seriously injured, and even she was now on the mend thanks to Samos. Therefore the guards provided secure transport so she could be taken home with Keira, and Tess with them. Samos travelled with them to ensure they arrived home safely and that the guards were giving all the help they could offer, before travelling back to the scene of the fire to headline the forensic investigation.

Azyma was placed on one of the couches in the front room, and given plenty of comfort. Samos had informed them that that was all they could do until she awoke. Tess, who was in shock, had the most attention. That was something that green eco could not heal. She just sat down with an unfocussed gaze in her eyes, not speaking even when she was spoken to. She turned her head from time to time in reaction to voices, but showed little response other than that. Even her bright fur seemed paler and less vibrant.

Keira was concerned and did not sleep that night. While her father and the guards scoured the portside for signs of evidence, she sat alone in the main room with her two unspeaking friends. She found it uncomfortable to be in such a position, and several times tried to get words out of Tess, but to no avail. Eventually she gave up trying and just sat beside her with a gentle hand on her back, slowly stroking up and down in an honest but futile attempt at consoling the both of them. She was at a loss for what else to do. Then she looked down at her healing foot which didn't even bear as much as a scar, thanks to her father.

Two Freedom Guards remained outside by the door, under orders from Samos to stand watch and offer any help if needed. They spoke quietly to one another, discussing their opinions on what had just happened. Of course they hadn't the faintest clue. They chose to settle on the fact that it was an accident; it was good enough for them.

The night was long. Keira began to drift away into deep and subconscious thought. She too was wondering what on earth had happened down at the Naughty Ottsel to cause so much destruction. Since both of her friends who witnessed it were in no state to talk, all she could do was guess and wait for them to come round. Azyma was certainly regaining her colour; the green eco was working its powers. But Tess grew grimmer and sadder. It was as if the life was being transferred from one of them and into the other.

At the Naughty Ottsel, smoke still rose from the broken embers as the guards picked their way through the smouldering debris, looking for signs or clues to the destruction. Fortunately they found no fatalities, but the cost would be much more demoralising. The Naughty Ottsel was the only pub in the whole city, and without their evenings of camaraderie and social merry-making, the citizens would start to sink lower into a lethargic coma of inactivity. This sole enjoyment was the primary key of hope for them; somewhere they could cease their worrying of their meagre existence for a while and have some fun.

Samos, being the wise sage that he was, predicted this long before it started. He knew the importance of this pub, and those other citizens who had gathered around the hastily erected barrier bore the looks of deep devastation as they looked on at the scorched wreck. Samos moved to a quiet corner with Vis and a few of the other city's highest-ranking officials and whispered in a low tone: "We can't let the people get any more depressed than they already are. Days into our rescue effort we still have nothing to show them. I think tomorrow it will be time to reveal the news to the public."

Nothing more was said as the clean-up continued in the port well into the morning, and still it was difficult to gather substantial evidence. All blackened debris was piled into a heap to await removal, and the ashes were blown by the wind into the harbour, coating the grey waters with an even darker layer of subfusc bleakness. It seemed to change the saturation of the whole port, and everything looked dull and tired, even as the sun crept over the mountains and shone on the streets.

In Keira's house all was still silent. Just before the sun came up, Tess seemed to suddenly become focussed and lucid for a short moment, and caught Keira's attention. She looked around rapidly, and then without warning, fell onto her side and into a swift sleep. Having sat there all night, Keira could not bring herself to awaken her. She too was very tired, and taking one last look at the stricken Azyma, reclined on the seat and closed her eyes, uncaring whether sleep took her or not.

Not a few minutes later, Azyma awoke of her own accord. She looked around and for a moment did not register anything she saw. At last she recognised her location as Keira's house, and turned to see both Keira and Tess on the couch, eyes closed and silent. Her head throbbed a little, but she did not feel weak. All she could remember from the traumatic night was a dark heat followed by a dim greenness.

Assuming her friends were sleeping, she got up off her couch and crept across the room so silently that Keira (who was still awake) did not even hear her. Into the kitchen she went and tried to piece together her fragmented memories. As hard as she tried, she could not remember anything more than what she already knew. But that all changed when she looked down at her singed and ashen clothes. Fear shook her as a grim and bearded face flashed into her mind, snarling with a hateful malice as fire wreathed all around. Tears flooded Azyma's eyes and she began to whimper, which caught Keira's attention. Seeing Azyma missing, she followed the sounds into the kitchen and found her on the floor in a crumpled emotional torrent.

"Guards!" Keira shouted, and rushed over to help her friend.

Not a moment later, the two guards who had remained dutifully outside the front door came bursting in to lend a hand. Azyma lay trembling on her side with her eyes shut tight, and nothing they could do would rouse her.

"Looks like post-traumatic stress," said one of the guards.

"How do we help her?" asked Keira, clutching her friend close.

"Treatment varies from person to person," said the guard, "But it's probably best to just wait and let her get over it herself; there isn't much we can do, to be honest. Just keep her indoors where it's safe and make her feel comfortable if you can."

The guards stood up, and Keira softly kissed Azyma on the forehead and whispered into her ear, "You'll be fine. You're out of danger now." Azyma stopped trembling but still did not open her eyes. Keira's warm embrace seemed to be helping. It was the first step on the road to recovery.


	12. Azyma's Revelation

Searching the burned out remnants of the Naughty Ottsel could reveal little about the events that truly happened there; everything was too blackened and scorched to even be identified (everything that was still left in one piece anyway). The daylight illuminated the scene but brought with it no sense of ease or comfort, and the crowd that stood outside the barrier around the dead building could not bring themselves to fully comprehend the situation. Most of them were loyal bar patrons who had come for their morning brew, but now found themselves at a loss upon arriving at the carnage.

The Freedom Guards that were left kept them back with no difficulty, and once Samos was sure that there was no substantial evidence at the scene, he handed command over to the next highest-ranking soldier in the area.

"Start cleaning up," he said, "I'm leaving you in charge. I need to check on my daughter now."

He left the port in the nearest cruiser and returned to the Freedom HQ Building in the north, whence he walked back home. Inside it was quiet, and at first he could see nobody. Then he noticed Tess still lying on the couch asleep, but she began stirring as he stepped further into the house. She awoke slowly and naturally as if nothing had ever happened, but then sat bolt upright and nearly launched herself off the couch. Samos stepped forwards hurriedly.

"The Bar!" she cried.

"Shhh..." hushed Samos, "You're safe. How are you feeling?"

"A little confused," she answered, "How did I get here?"

"We rescued you from the port," explained Samos, "Keira helped. She's fine by the way, and Azyma is getting better."

"All of last night's a blur," said Tess, "I remember... fire and glass shards. What happened?"

Samos exhaled before breaking the bad news. "I'm afraid the Naughty Ottsel has been burned to the ground."

Tess bowed her head and put a hand to her face. She said nothing and breathed silently for a few seconds, trying to take in the words she had just heard, and scanning her transparent memory for any confirmation. It began to come back to her slowly, and she once again saw herself sitting on the concrete staring at the blaze. Coming back to reality, she spoke again in a sad, rough voice. "I remember now. All that time spent in there... so many memories... What am I going to do now?"

"Right now you can stay here and recover," said Samos, and Tess jumped as if she hadn't been expecting an answer. "Take as long as you need."

Samos left her and went upstairs to look for Keira, listening to Tess's quiet mutterings as he went.

"Daxter would be absolutely devastated..." she sighed to herself.

Upstairs, Samos knocked on Keira's door and quietly entered. He saw Azyma tucked up in Keira's bed, and Keira herself was sitting on the floor with her back to the bed and her head resting on her knees. She looked up as Samos came in.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

"Hmm," Keira hummed in a sign of acknowledgment, "Just tired."

Samos looked again at Azyma. "And how's Azyma coping?"

"She got up actually," Keira answered, "But the guards think she's suffering from post-traumatic stress. I'm helping take care of her, but I'm no therapist..."

"Do not worry about it," said Samos, "She'll get better. The eco will help. Tess is awake as well now, and she's sitting downstairs trying to come to terms with it all. I'll keep an eye on her, you just get some rest."

"OK Daddy," whispered Keira, "Thanks."

Samos left the room quietly and returned downstairs to find Tess unmoved. However, she looked a little less sad than she had been earlier. It turned out that she was starting to cope well with the loss; she needed a break. She worked so hard to keep the old pub maintained by herself while Daxter was gone, often working for long hours every day. Azyma had helped to keep the job manageable, but even then it was still tough going. She was actually feeling relieved now in a way; she wouldn't have to wake up early anymore to open the doors or worry about supplies or cleaning up. She felt free now, and had a good friend looking after her. By midday she was up off the couch and walking around the house.

She visited Keira in her bedroom, hoping to talk, but Keira was curled up on the floor and sound asleep. Tess saw the state that she and Azyma were both in. Beneath the blankets of Keira's bed, Azyma was caught in silent but troubling dreams, and her unmoving face unconsciously showed her lingering despair in a frozen frown. Despite not actually being inside the building when it had been burning, Keira looked the worst. Still in the light clothing she had donned in last night's haste, her body rested peacefully but was limp. The grit from the pavement and the ash from the air still clung to her, and her hair was a tangled green mess, more resembling an abandoned bird's nest than actual hair.

Tess did not want to wake either of them, but noiselessly sprang onto the window ledge behind the bed to lay eyes on the city again. A small spiral of smoke still rose from the port where her bar had once stood, and on the streets below people went unassumingly about their daily business. Many were lamenting the loss of the Naughty Ottsel, as it had been a favourite public attraction for all who inhabited the city. She once again thought of Daxter, and all the moments they had shared inside that building and out. Where was he now? It was a question she had asked herself every day, but she still had not an answer. Her thoughts then turned to her new life, however temporary it may be. She was looking forward to spending more time with Keira. A small smile emerged from her lips which would have been barely noticeable from a distance, but it was still a smile, the first smile since the disaster.

Samos had left a while ago after making sure everyone was alright, and was now in the Freedom Building, deliberating among his peers the next plan of action. The decision was made to announce the news of the destruction of Idandi to the people, as after last night's tragic events, they needed something to distract them enough from the grief and instil more hope. The fire still burned, and scouts out at the black mountain frequently radioed in updates, observed the flames and explored the surrounding area, building up a map of possible events that may have caused this mighty fire. Of course, there was still no clear theory in anyone's mind, but a new unavoidable possibility now stalked the thoughts of everyone involved like a disease. What destroyed Idandi may have also been responsible for the fire at the Naughty Ottsel, and whatever or whoever that was may still be in the city. Rumours quickly spread around the people with all the ferocity and heat of the fire itself, and nothing would extinguish the interest.

Samos gave his orders that were to be followed exactly; every guard was informed to avoid speaking to civilians on the matter, and to not reinforce the ideas growing in their heads. In a time like this, calm and order had to be maintained. But before the word was dispatched, Samos felt the need to add something else that was poking at him from the corner of his mind. He said it without enthusiasm, but giving the order triggered a hidden feeling inside him that made him feel humble and considerate and warm.

"And send another team out to sweep Haven Forest," he said, "Check for any remaining hostilities. I have a feeling we may need the area again soon."

The next few days seemed to pass without much further significance, even though life had indeed begun to return to normal. The destruction of the Naughty Ottsel had shaken the city violently, but fortunately had resulted in no deaths. The debris was all removed and a grey empty space now stood where the building had once been. Tess eventually found the heart to return to the location with Keira while Azyma still rested, and what she saw made her sad. A part of her life had been burned away. She thought back to the times when she worked as a barmaid to spy on Krew for the Underground, and had first been introduced properly to Daxter. Despite the pub's general unpleasantness in the hands of the old crime lord, she had always felt that the place could be used for something so much better. All the people who ever visited that place had been criminals and gangsters employed by Krew, and the innocent citizens became wise to give the place a wide berth lest they find themselves suddenly in an undesired situation, which was always a great fear in the Baron's reign. Krew didn't need their patronage; he could find his own money, and he always had plenty of it.

Then of course once Krew was gone, Daxter took over the place and made it his own. All those who once feared to tread near it now found themselves drawn to its charismatic new management. Besides, they needed some enjoyment after the end of the Metal Head Wars. But it was not to last, as the messy three-way civil war tore things up again, and it was closed to the public as the Underground commandeered it for the war effort while Daxter was out in the Wasteland.

Having made their quiet return to the city, Jak and Daxter swung straight back into action and finally liberated the people once again. Of course by this time, Tess, still loyal to the Underground, had found new work in munitions design. But after things had settled down and she had grown accustomed to her 'new self', she and Daxter moved back in and set about making the place warm and happy again.

She shed another tear while standing before the empty space in the port. This was something she could not easily get over completely, but she would have to live on. Who knows, the pub may even be rebuilt in the hopeful future. Starting again for a third time would mean massive overhauls, but Tess was determined to bring it back bigger and better than ever.

The truth behind the burning still wasn't clear, and was currently labelled by the Freedom League as an unspecified accident until further developments had been made. Tess already had given her recount of what she remembered: she had been watching over the last customers before closing time, when an explosion ripped through one of the back rooms and spread fire into the main bar area. She had hurried the people outside whereupon they all fled except those who were injured. She knew Azyma was in one of the back rooms, but by the time she was outside the flames had engulfed the whole building. Then things got a little hazy after that.

With her information, the Guard were able to piece together a clearer image of the events immediately before and during the fire, but all they needed now was word from Azyma. If the explosion came from the back rooms, and she had been in there, she would likely know what would have happened. Some even began to suspect that she was in fact the cause of the explosion, but Tess asserted that she would never do a thing like that. Doubt was abounding until she was well enough to prove her innocence.

Azyma's health was improving steadily. All of her physical wounds were now healed, and not even a scar remained on her now flawless skin. She had been inactive since the disaster, and had only awoken a few times for a short moment or two. Anyone who had been there to see her would have noticed a definite improvement with each stirring, even though she remained slow and lethargic. Keira managed to get her to eat something once, as she was beginning to worry about her strength. That seemed to really help, and after that she arose from the bed more frequently and spoke a little. She kept eating and her vitality began to return. Keira, Samos and Tess always kept a close eye on her; Keira had set up a temporary bed for herself on the floor so she could be with Azyma as much as possible in case she needed anything. Her stress levels had depleted to nothing, and she no longer suffered from any bouts of despair, and was slowly returning to her old self.

At last when she was well enough and felt confident to speak of that night's events, the others sat down to listen with full attention. She was about to give what could be the missing piece of the puzzle.

"Tell us what happened in the back rooms," Tess said gently.

Azyma closed her eyes and tried to picture the disturbing imagery again. She no longer feared to think about it, but still preferred to avoid doing so. Nevertheless, she revealed what she remembered.

"I was taking some supplies into the storage room," she explained, and Tess nodded upon remembering seeing her leave the main bar, "When I got in there, I had the strange feeling that I wasn't alone. There wasn't much light in there and I got a little creeped out. But then I saw...him..."

Everyone else in the room was intrigued. Samos raised an eyebrow, and Tess gasped silently.

"He emerged out of the shadows and came towards me. I was too scared to move..."

"Did he say anything?" asked Keira.

"Yes, but not much. He said..." She shuddered at the words she was about to repeat. "He said, 'I told you, didn't I? Don't do anything clever.' Then he threw me into the wall, and it nearly knocked me out. There was a loud bang and the next thing I knew the room was in flames and he was gone. I knew I had to get out, but in all the smoke and the heat I couldn't find my way. I was so terrified..."

She paused in silence and held her eyes tightly shut, trying to hold back the tears.

"You don't have to go on if you don't want to," said Tess, "I think we've heard enough to know that it wasn't your fault that the Naughty Ottsel burned down."

Azyma remained silent but looked up again. Samos knew she had not been lying, he could see it in her damp eyes. Tess had a feeling that the mysterious man, whoever he was, was the same man who had harassed her in the street on her way home several nights ago. The words he had said in the pub related to what Azyma had reported he'd said on the night she was attacked. She was starting to piece together the information and suspected that this man had intended to kill Azyma in the fire he had apparently caused. Whether he knew his plan had failed or not was unknown, and his motives were still unclear.

"This is troubling," said Samos, "It seems we may have a terrorist on our hands, and for all we know he is still out there. We must alert the guards straight away and give them this information so we can find this dangerous man. He must not be allowed to remain a threat!"

Azyma spoke almost automatically in response, in a slow and blank tone. "He had long grey hair, and a stubbly beard. Metal teeth, and he wore all black. And he was tall, really tall, almost touching the ceiling..." She trailed off from there.

"Well, now we have a description at least," said Samos, "That should make the job slightly easier. I'm sure there aren't many grey-haired metal-teethed giants wandering around here."

"Don't worry, Azyma," said Keira, "We'll get that guy."

Azyma was silent again, but nodded in thanks.

That night, when she was on her own, Azyma had slipped back into deep thought. There was something else she had not told her friends earlier that day; another forgotten memory that had stirred itself from the back of her mind, and now it was all she could focus on. Unlike last week, she now had a pretty good idea of who her stalker could be. So long ago it seemed, a dark day in her past was slowly revealing itself again, something she had tried to push aside and forget. There was something about that day now that seemed of the utmost importance again, most notably one of the people involved. Surely that couldn't be the same man? Her memory of him did somewhat match the appearance of the man who had come to her in the back rooms of the Naughty Ottsel.

This returning memory troubled her, and she began to piece together a fragmented motive for her stalker's actions. Something told her that she was still far from safe, even in the warm comfort of her friend's home. She wondered how wise a visit back to her own house in the slums to get some of her stuff would be, and eventually decided against the idea. As long as he was still out there roaming free, she could have no certainty of her security. If he could burn down a whole building, he would likely not think twice about doing something else that was just as bad, if not worse.

She felt a presence behind her, and she turned around faster than she had ever done before. Nothing. The window and the curtains were still open, blowing in a refreshing night breeze. Slowly she clambered over the bed and looked upon the city outside. The wind felt like a dark breath on her cheek, and gently ignited the unpleasant memory of the stinging pain from the cut she had suffered at the hands of her oppressor. _He knows_, she thought, almost whispering the words to herself. _He knows I'm here._

**_[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-12-331846476]_**


	13. The Protector

Azyma sat at the table sipping some juice. Opposite her was Keira who was savouring her breakfast. Azyma had finished hers long before; she enjoyed the taste of everything now that her strength had recovered fully, and just couldn't help eating whatever was put before her with as much haste as possible. As she finished off the last of her drink, she just sat quietly and watched Keira eat. She owed her much for saving her down at the port and literally carrying her to safety, and then taking care of her in her own home for the past few days. Since they'd met nearly two weeks ago, her attachment to her had steadily grown stronger, and she wished she could repay the favour somehow, but Keira never seemed to be in any trouble, ever. Of course, Keira had her problems too, but Azyma had never been there when they occurred, and Keira never spoke of them around her. All she seemed to care about was her friends.

"Keira," said Azyma, and Keira looked up from her breakfast with her mouth full of food.

"Hmm?"

"I don't think I ever thanked you properly for saving my butt down at the Naughty Ottsel..."

"Don't worry about it, Azyma," replied Keira as if it was nothing, "What are friends for?"

Azyma smiled as Keira resumed eating. There was the sign of a true friend, and it warmed her inside. It made her feel loved, and that was something she treasured immensely. It reminded her of something she had felt long ago, back when her parents were still around, but it felt distant and vague, and hard to make out clearly.

She leaned back on her chair and looked out of the rear window. Not much of a view: just a mildly busy road in front of another grey building. She couldn't see the sky, but judging by the light she guessed it was quite a nice day. She turned back to Keira.

"Hey, how long ago was the fire again?" she asked.

"About five days," answered Keira.

Five days didn't feel like a long time to Azyma, but then again she had spent at least two of those days restlessly battling with her inner torments, with little awareness of the outside world. It did make her worry a bit at how fast time had gone though.

But then with a skip and hop, Tess came bounding into the room and onto the table and stood between them both. Her eyes were wide and beaming with enthusiasm, and she was carrying a rolled up poster.

"Guys!" she said, "Look at this!" She unrolled the poster before them, and on it in big bold letters were the words: _ENEMY CITY IN FLAMES! WAR MAY BE OVER!_

The three girls read the words and then all looked at each other. But there was no raucous cheering or instant celebration. Instead they all simultaneously released a sigh that had been built up inside them for the best part of a year. At last, there would be no more raids. At last, it would be safe to walk the streets without fear of death. At last, normal life could continue.

Keira thought it over. This should have happened nearly two weeks ago, and Jak should have been back for the inevitable street parties. No doubt he would have been praised for weeks thereafter and literally deified as the city's ultimate protector, but she didn't care for that. All she wanted was to see him again. But then it struck her: what if he had done this? Was he the one responsible for finally destroying the enemy city? Was he still out there by himself fighting for their freedom?

This gave her hope, and she looked at Tess and could tell that she had been thinking the same about Daxter. Maybe soon they would be home? Keira imagined Jak standing triumphantly atop a pile of rubble as the enemy city burned behind him. If only things were really happening as she was seeing them in her mind...

"Ah, I see you've got the news," said Samos, who had just entered the room.

"Is it true then?" asked Keira excitedly.

Samos nodded. "Indeed. Right now there are cruisers out at the enemy city, sending back constant reports. Unfortunately we cannot determine more at this time until the fire burns out; only time will reveal what has truly happened there now."

A look of blankness swept across the girls. "You mean you don't know what caused this?" asked Azyma.

Samos shook his head. "We found it like that seven days ago and it's still burning. But whatever happened out there, we can at least be certain that we will see no further movements from our foe now."

Samos paused. He was about to say the city was safe, but then remembered the problem with the mysterious visitor in the Naughty Ottsel. It did however remind him of something else he had to tell them. He waited for the girls to finish chattering brief speculations among themselves to make his announcement.

"I have some more good news as well. There is someone here to see you..."

He stepped aside as a large heavily-clad figure lumbered into the room, bringing with it the sound of clanking rusty metal and the faint scent of dust. Azyma stood up in mild surprise at the sight of the giant gun-wielding man entering the room, but was instantly subdued by the warm and gentle smile that appeared to be crafted onto his chiselled face. He came to a halt in front of the table and looked down at the girls who were dwarfed by his mighty stature.

"Hello sweet cherries!" said Sig in his deep but cheerful voice.

"Sig!" said Tess and Keira together, overjoyed to see the big man again.

"Keira, good to see ya again!" he said, but then lowered his head in solemn reverence, "I'm sorry to hear about Jak and Daxter."

Keira was so filled with delight that it was impossible to feel sad at a time like this, but answered his respect with a somewhat calm and controlled voice. "It's alright, Sig. I know they're out there somewhere. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they were heading back right now."

"Hell yeah, you got that right!" said Sig, instantly reverting to his old character again, "Jak and I have been on many adventures together, and if there's one thing I've learned, he's one tough skull to crack!"

He turned to look down at Tess. "And how's my little barmaid doing?"

Tess couldn't stop smiling and giggling. "I just couldn't be better right now!"

"Good!" Finally he turned to Azyma. "So you must be Azyma," he said, scanning her up and down with his bionic eye.

Azyma's eyebrows shot up and a nervous smile appeared on her face. He knew her name!

"Well let me just say that you're one fine-looking lady! I'll bet even Mar himself would fall on his knees and bow before the Metal Heads just to see a face as pretty as yours."

Azyma blushed and tried to hold back a coy giggle but didn't succeed, and she bashfully looked down at her feet. Keira herself couldn't help but chuckle as well.

Samos stepped up beside Sig. "I've called Sig over to help us look for the one responsible for destroying the Naughty Ottsel, and to provide some protection for the three of you."

Sig spoke again. "If this guy thinks that he can hurt my friends and get away with it, then he's forgotten to figure me into the equation!"

The three girls were over the moon to hear this. Having Sig as a bodyguard would definitely improve their safety, and their confidence was shooting sky-high. Nobody would dare come near them while he was around.

"Now let's see about this so-called terrorist!"

* * *

As they walked down the street, Azyma had trouble keeping a straight face and either looked down at the path as she walked, or kept her gaze straight ahead of her or off at some unimportant sight to her left. Sig was by her right side, and Keira was by his with Tess perched on her shoulder. She couldn't help feeling strangely attracted to him, but couldn't pluck up the courage to look him in the face again, except furtively when she thought he was looking another way. He marched alongside her tall and proud, towering over everyone else who passed by, with great long strides and a traveller's gait. His Peacemaker he held resting over his shoulder as always, and Azyma wondered what mighty creatures he had taken down with it. He looked like he'd been through a lot in his life, and were those real Metal Head skulls crafted onto his armour?

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart.""com/"art/Chapter-13-333350205]**_

They were heading over to the site of the Naughty Ottsel again. Though Sig had been fully informed about the situation by Samos, he had yet to actually see the damage for himself. He wanted to know what sort of trouble he was up against. Probably nothing he couldn't handle, but it was worth a look anyway. Right now he was re-familiarising himself with the city's layout.

Then he noticed how strangely quiet Azyma was, and felt the need to strike up some conversation to break the ice between them a bit.

"So Azyma," he said, and Azyma jumped when her name was mentioned, "How did you become friends with Keira and Tess?"

Azyma bit her lip shyly, and answered quietly, but just loud enough for Sig to hear without straining his ears.

"I used to help Tess serve drinks at the bar," she said, "Keira came in one evening and we became acquainted. I've known Tess for longer; we were in the Underground together."

"Ah!" said Sig, "Another freedom fighter, huh?" He chuckled merrily, and Azyma was fascinated by his deep, rolling laugh. "Well, you were doing the right thing. I always knew that Baron Praxis was no good. He was a traitor, and a liar."

Azyma summoned up the courage to make a response question.

"What about you then?" she asked, "What's your story?"

"I'm a Wastelander!" Sig announced with obvious relish, "And I've been king of Spargus for the last year."

Azyma thought to herself. Spargus? Wasn't that that desert town?

"It's my home," Sig continued, "And I swore to Damas that I would protect it. You remember Damas don't ya? He was in power before the Baron overthrew him."

Azyma nodded. "You were friends with him?"

"I was," Sig answered, "He knew what he was doing. I kept an eye on goings-on in the city for him after he got thrown out. Then I got sucked up into some of my own adventures..."

"What were they like?" asked Azyma inquisitively.

Sig thought back to his dark times spent working for Krew, and didn't answer immediately. Tess looked up at him and could tell by the look on his face what he was thinking.

"I'd rather not talk about it," he said finally, "All you need to know is that now I'm looking out for you. Just stick close and you'll be fine."

They didn't speak much again until they arrived in the port, and Azyma hoped she hadn't upset him. But that was nothing compared to Sig's reaction once confronted by the empty space where the bar once stood. He stood catatonic and stared at the blank area.

"Damn..."

It was worse than he thought. He was expecting at least some part of the building to still remain, but there was nothing. All of the rubble had been cleared away and there was nothing left he could examine to look for clues. Tess was saddened by his morose look, and shared this quiet moment of empathy.

This was also the first time Azyma had returned to the scene, and she was pained by the frightening memories from that night as she stood there in the small group. She looked over her shoulder anxiously, and had the feeling she was being watched again. Slowly and subconsciously, she clasped hold of Sig's great arm hanging at his side, in the manner of a small child seeking comfort from a parent. This drew Sig out of his memories and back into reality.

"Hey," he said quietly, and Azyma immediately let go once she realised what she was doing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, and looked away embarrassed.

Sig smiled. "Ah, it's alright. It's what I'm here for. Don't worry, we'll get that guy alright."

But to be honest, that little touch on the arm was kind of what he needed right now.

* * *

Back home that evening, Keira and Tess were in the front room with Sig, catching up on some of the main gossip from Spargus. Sig regretted that there had been little to do in the past months, what with all the Metal Heads disappearing one by one. He missed his old sport, and there were still a few empty spaces on his throne room walls for some extra trophies. Apart from that, there was little else to do but watch the games in the city arena. Even the Marauder attacks were becoming scarce.

Upstairs, Azyma was rummaging through one of Keira's cupboards. During their walk today, they had revisited Azyma's house in the slums and picked up some of her clothes and other belongings. She knew it wasn't safe to live there alone, and she would much rather be with her friends, especially now that Sig was here to protect them. Keira had cleared some room in her wardrobe to allow space for Azyma's clothes, and right now she was deciding what to wear. She'd had her first proper wash since the fire, and she felt much revitalised.

Having got dressed accordingly, she went downstairs again, hesitated outside the door to the front room, and then walked in. She received much praise from kind old Sig for her freshed-up appearance, which she politely thanked him for, and then she took the seat nearest the entry. For a while, conversation resumed as normal, with Azyma occasionally putting questions forward, mostly directed at Sig. She felt the urge to know more about him, but only the things he was comfortable in sharing.

A little later though, Samos returned home from the Freedom League, and he had more good news. He made his announcement to everyone, looking especially at Keira.

"I received word from one of our scout parties this evening," he said, "They've just come back from Haven Forest and the old mountain temple."

Keira's eyes brightened in expectation.

"They say that there are no signs of trouble out in the forest. I guess now there's nothing stopping you from going out there again."

Keira leapt up in celebration, and then bent down to give her father a loving hug. She knew he had sent the order to check the place out, and now it was done. He was no longer forbidding her from visiting the place again, but he was unaware of how much this meant to his daughter. He was a little surprised by her reaction; he had been expecting a quiet 'thank you'.

"Ah, Haven Forest," said Sig reminiscing, "I used to go Metal Head hunting there sometimes."

"Well, the team saw no sign of Metal Heads or any other dangers out there today," said Samos, "So it seems now we can finally restore it to the quiet sanctuary it once was."

"Sig, do you want to come with us when we go back?" asked Keira.

"Sure, why not?" said Sig, "And just in case there are any Metal Heads hiding out there, I'll waste 'em all!"

Samos approved, happy to know that his daughter was protected. He'd have to go out there himself again at some point, just to admire the abundant nature. It had been a long time since he had last visited the forest, or even left the city for that matter. A short vacation to the mountains would do him some good. Maybe once he'd sorted out the last of the city's problems, he would go there.

Keira was so excited, that she made it clear she wanted to go out that very evening. Nobody could really object. Their only problem was that guy from the Naughty Ottsel, and it was unlikely he would cause any more trouble right now, what with the whole city on a constant search for him. He'd be found before long, and then there'd be nothing left to fear. Very soon, the city would once again have a clear and stable future.

A short while later Keira was in her bedroom collecting stuff for the trip. She was packing very much the same things as last time, only now she was a little more prepared for what she would find in the forest. She intended to show Tess and Azyma the lake that she had discovered after they had left last time, and if she could, get over to the other side of it to explore further. She thought back to last time when she was unable to move further than the bank she had climbed up, and this time she was determined to go further.

She rummaged around in some of her drawers, and found that most of them now had Azyma's clothes inside. But then she found what she was looking for. She held up her old swimming suit that she had rarely used, and inspected it closely. It looked a little small in her hands, but apart from that there was nothing wrong with it. She held it against herself and checked out her reflection in the mirror. She could get away with wearing that, she thought. A pert smile slowly appeared on her face as she rolled the idea over in her mind. What was to stop her?


	14. Return to the Forest

Once again, Keira overlooked the precipice into the gorge of the mountain valley. The sheer drop plummeted into deep darkness, illuminated only by the soft permanent glow from the temple structure in the distance. In the fading sunlight, the place looked ominous and somewhat mystical, and something about this evening's sky made the colours seem to leap out into full contrast.

Keira reached into her backpack and pulled out a torch, and began scanning the rock face to her left for signs of the passage she had covered up last time. She had seen as she came through the portal that it had not been disturbed, so the patrols had obviously not found it. But could she remember where it was?

Sig was a little confused. He looked down into the valley and could see the old entrance to the forest over in the other side of the cliff, completely cut off and out of reach. That was how he would usually get into the forest, but the platform that would take him down there was now missing.

To the right, a new bridge had been constructed over the smaller gap by the Freedom patrols that had been here. They could get across now, and that's where he was expecting to go, but Keira's interest lay in the cliff immediately opposite. He had to ask.

"What are you looking at?" he asked Keira, "I thought we were here to explore, not stare at rocks."

Keira was only half paying attention, and didn't turn around. "Just hang on a sec, would you?" she said.

Sig looked back to Tess and Azyma who were admiring the view of the city in the evening light. He stood around waiting patiently for an explanation, but none came. Eventually he had to walk over and ask them directly.

"Do you know what Keira's doing?"

Tess looked over at her scouring the wall, and thought she had better explain.

"We found a passage that leads down to the forest that way," she said, "I guess she covered it up after we left last time, and now she's trying to find it again so we can head back in."

"The patrols must have got into the forest somehow," said Sig, "There must be another way in, if they didn't use that one. I think we should cross that bridge over there and look into the temple. It'll probably be easier to find that way."

"Well, if Keira's up for it too, let's go that way then," said Tess, getting up, "It'll be interesting to see if we can find anything new. This place is really magical and I'll bet there are lots of hidden secrets here."

Azyma also got to her feet and followed the other two back to Keira, who still had not found their hidden passage.

"Keira," said Tess pointing over the bridge, "Sig thinks we should explore that way and try to find an easier way into the forest. We can come back here later if we don't find anything."

Keira turned around. "Alright then," she said, feeling a little sad that she couldn't remember where the tunnel was.

"I hope we do find something," said Azyma, "I really didn't like crawling down that dark tunnel."

Together they set off over the bridge and into the Precursor temple complex. The orange metal that made up the walls of the rooms and corridors they walked through were mostly overgrown with vegetation, but in places it had been cut away, probably by the Freedom League. Azyma, who had never been this close to Precursor metal before, close enough to touch, found it fascinating to just watch her distorted reflection dance around in its shiny and smooth surface.

A few more metres and they were standing in a large domed building with great yawning archways through which they could see deeper into the mountain gorges. The ancient majesty of the structure loomed over them, and there was a strange humming noise in the air coming from the large light source in the ceiling at the very apex of the dome. Azyma wondered what was keeping it alight.

Keira stepped towards one of the mighty archways, and before her lay another gorge, probably the same one seen from the entrance atop the cliff. She looked down into it, with one hand on the wall to steady herself. The floor formed a small semicircular platform without a balcony, and beneath it was nothing but blackness.

"There's nothing over here," she called, and her voice echoed down into the pit and reverberated all around for a long time after she had said it.

The others took a look through some of the other archways, and beheld similar scenes. But at her one, Azyma spied something off to the left. There was a small ravine in the cliffs just around to the side, definitely reachable and big enough to slip through.

"Hey!" she shouted, and her friends came over, "This looks promising."

The others looked in. It was dim inside, but a lot roomier and more welcoming than the original tunnel they had crawled through last time.

"This has got to lead somewhere," said Tess.

"Might be a dead end," said Sig.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," said Keira, and stepped forward with her torch held high. The cliff was on the other side of a small grass verge a few metres wide that was safe enough to cross, and Keira stepped nimbly across it to the mouth of the opening. The others soon followed one by one.

Keira eyed the opening up and down, and then bravely stepped through the gap. It widened out a little inside, and there was enough room to walk down with arms outstretched. Keira shone the torch upwards and could see that the rocks did not cover the ceiling; there was only open sky above. There were also no Precursor lamps down this passage, so her torch would definitely come in handy. Beams of moonlight shone through in places, illuminating the hidden path with an eerie grey light and revealing that the ground was no longer grass, but dry dirt.

Soon, all four of them were inside, ready to continue down the mysterious ravine. Keira led them on, and before long it became apparent that they were descending down a gentle slope. As they got further in, their expectations of finding the forest at the end grew. Surely there must be something down here.

Minutes of silent walking passed before someone spoke again.

"Wait, listen," said Tess, detecting something with her more sensitive Ottsel audition. The others stopped, but could hear nothing.

"What is it?" asked Sig, tensing up.

"I can hear running water again."

Keira and Azyma smiled because they knew what this meant: the waterfall from the forest! As they walked on at a brisker pace, fuelled by hope and expectancy, the sound grew louder until the others could hear it.

"We must be close!" said Keira, and she swung her torch around rapidly for further signs of this elusive source.

Then Tess again alerted them of the next sign. As the only member of the party walking barefooted, she pointed out that the floor now seemed slightly damper than it had been before. Then ahead there lay a darker tunnel in the wall: it had a much lower roof and the sound of the water was coming from inside it.

"Come on!" said Keira excitedly, "We must be almost there!"

The others really didn't need much encouragement to follow her inside. Sig had to duck down a little, and his bionic eye automatically switched to night vision mode so he could see in the dark. Droplets of water frequently fell from the ceiling, and the sound of the water grew louder and louder until it sounded as if the waterfall was right on top of them.

Then they saw it. Shimmering beams of moonlight on the wall ahead led them towards an opening, through which a misty vapour slowly crawled inside. Keira stepped through first, and found herself on a slippery ledge. Right in front of her a cascading wall of water poured down into some unknown abyss, illuminated by the light of her torch and from the moon. They were outside now, and were standing right behind a waterfall.

"Look at that!" said Azyma in utter awe.

"Be careful, it's slippery here," said Keira. She looked to her left and could see the ledge snake around the wall until it was hidden by the edge of the waterfall. With great diligence and a steady pace, she began to make her way around to it. Tess, having better grip on her feet, chose to follow her around. Azyma and Sig stayed where they were and watched nervously in anticipation.

Keira kept her eyes on her feet and always made sure she was securely positioned before taking the next step. Slowly but surely, she made good progress and soon found grass beneath her feet again. The ledge widened out until it moved away from the cliff and became solid ground again, and at last Keira could look up and see where she was. She was filled with delight to see that she was now standing atop a grass-covered mound overlooking a large lake that was fed by the waterfall she had just climbed around. All around the lake grew gnarled and moss-covered trees, as old as the bones of the earth, and through the canopy shone the moon. Keira looked all around and took in the sight until Tess joined her soon after. There they stood, dampened from the spray of the waterfall, in the moonlight of Haven Forest. They'd done it. They were here!

Keira shouted the good news back to Sig and Azyma behind the waterfall, who began making their way around carefully to find them. Having made it through safely, they too stood in the natural wonder of the forest. The girls didn't recognise any of it from last time; this was a different area, but at least they were somewhere.

"It's been a long time since I last came here," said Sig, "There used to be Metal Heads all over this place sometimes."

"Not anymore," said Keira, "Come on, let's check it out." Then with torch in hand, she set off down the slope to the left away from the lake and the small hillock they were on. The ground sloped down like a natural ramp and before long they were at ground level. All around were ancient trees and bushes and old rocks, which seemed to be alive with primordial sentience. At times, Keira swore she could hear whispery voices as the plants swayed in the gentle night breeze. Was the forest playing tricks on her senses again, or were they the early signs that she was beginning to inherit some of her father's abilities? She felt it strange for it was something she had never noticed before. This place definitely had its mysteries.

As they plunged deeper into the trees and further away from the waterfall, they began to feel ever more distant from the worries of city life. All they were interested in right now was exploring the hidden depths of the trees, to see what they could find. Keira was hoping they would eventually come upon where they had come to last time; Tess often sniffed the air for signs of disturbance; Azyma walked quietly in contemplation; and Sig trudged along at the rear keeping a constant eye out for trouble, and also memorising parts of the path they had taken so they could find their way back.

Suddenly, a high-pitched beeping sound came from Keira's backpack, and it made everyone except Sig jump in surprise. It was a communicator her father had made her take with them so he could stay in contact. Keira answered it, and sure enough Samos was on the other end.

"How are you doing out there?" he asked.

"We're in the forest," said Keira, "Don't worry, there's no sign of danger."

"Good, but it's dark now so be careful you don't get lost."

"We'll find our way back, Daddy," replied Keira, "You'd really like it here."

"Yes, well, maybe someday I'll go out there with you. But not for a while yet; there's still a lot to be done back at the city before I can think about that."

"Alright Daddy, we'll tell you all about it when we get back."

"Just stay safe."

"We will, Daddy. Bye."

They ended their conversation there before continuing their journey.

Sometime later, Tess stopped them again and signalled that she could smell more water up ahead. Sig peered into the darkness and could indeed see the edges of another still lake a few metres away. They stopped by the bank, and caught the moon's ghostly reflection in the unmoving water. They could hear that this lake had no waterfall, and Keira suddenly wondered if this was the other end of the lake she had found the other night. She looked around to see if it jogged her memory at all, but things all looked quite different in the dark, and her torchlight was not powerful enough to reach the other side of the water. She turned around to Sig, the eyes of his Metal Head armour glistening in the dim light, and asked if he could see what lay beyond.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-14-334557852]**_

Sig's bionic vision zoomed and magnified, and he could just make out the lake's other side in the gloom. He calculated the lake's length to be roughly forty five metres, but could not make out the depth.

"I can see the other side," he said, "But there's nothing over there except more rocks and trees."

Keira felt frustrated. How could she be sure that this was the right place? She thought back to her last visit, and remembered lying on the bank in the sunlight and staring over the water. Then she mentally slapped herself in the face for forgetting about her swimwear. It would be a shame to bring it all this way for nothing, and the night was warm enough for it. She turned around with a cheeky smile.

"Anybody up for a swim?" she said.

The others looked at her with slightly puzzled looks. Was she serious?

"I want to see what's on the other side of the lake...and from the looks of it there's only one way over there." Without waiting for an answer, she handed the torch to Azyma who compliantly took it, dropped her backpack and sat down to begin unlacing her boots. She was serious.

"Wait a minute," said Sig, a little surprised but amused at the same time, "You're actually going to swim over there?"

"Why not?" Keira said as her shoes came off, "I mean it's only a bit of water."

She pushed her shoes to one side and stood up again to slip out of the rest of her clothes. Azyma didn't quite know what to say or where to look, let alone point the torch, but was a little relieved when she saw that Keira was wearing her swimsuit under her clothes; for a moment she thought she was going to go all the way and completely undress right in front of them.

"I don't know about you going over there though," said Sig uneasily, "I promised your father I'd look out for you, and you going over there alone don't feel right. What if you get hurt somehow and we can't get to you?"

"Well why don't one of you come with me then?" she asked, "Split ourselves into two groups of two?" She dropped her clothes onto her bag and now stood before them wearing only her swimsuit.

"Well it might be alright for you," Sig continued, "But I'm pretty sure the rest of us haven't brought any bathers. Look, why don't we come back tomorrow when the sun's up and then sort something out?"

Keira gestured for her torch to be returned, and Azyma, too stunned to do anything else, handed it back to her. She waved it around and then shone it in the direction of the lake. "This torch is waterproof," she explained, "And I won't go far. I just want to see if this is the same place I came to last time, then I'll come right back, I promise."

Sig reluctantly agreed to let her have a quick look. "Alright, but don't be longer than ten minutes, OK?"

Keira nodded and then turned around and walked towards the lake.

"Wait!" said Tess and Keira looked back, "I'll go with you, just to be sure."

Keira didn't have a problem with that, and Tess leapt forwards and onto her head. While she had been a decent swimmer back when she was human, she had not yet had the time to come to a similar proficiency in her new Ottsel form and lacked the right confidence. "I'll take the torch," she said, "And you just focus on staying afloat, OK?"

Keira handed the torch up to Tess and then slowly stepped into the water as Sig and Azyma watched from behind. She waded in and her legs felt as if they turned to ice.

"Whew! It's chilly!" she said, but braved the cold and went in further. Tess maintained her balance atop her head and with one hand held the torch steady and with the other caught hold of a clump of hair as an anchoring point, while her legs dangled over her ears. Keira was up to her waist now and began shivering as the lake got deeper, until finally her feet began to lose touch on the lake bed and she pushed off into a strong breaststroke across the dark rippling water.

Azyma smiled incredulously. "She's crazy," she said shaking her head, and sat down on the grass beside Sig.

"Yeah..." Sig replied, and kept his eye on her at all times. Looked like she was getting across the lake without any difficulty, which was good.

"I wish I had her confidence," said Azyma, "I could never do that."

"Hey now," said Sig in a sympathising manner, "A pretty girl like you shouldn't need to worry about anything."

Azyma felt embarrassed again and looked down at her toes. In the lake she could make out Keira's dark silhouette swimming over the moon's reflection, and she shifted her focus to the shape until it melted into the night hue of the lake and disappeared from perception. Then she looked up at the moon itself and noticed how bright and big it looked beyond city light. All around it were the distant glimmers of a hundred remote stars, shining infinitely in the unknown chasm of space.

Keira had reached the other side of the lake and was now climbing out, dripping wet and covered head to toe in goose bumps. Tess jumped down with the torch, and though she had only got her toes and the tip of her tail wet, shook herself off anyway. "You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think so," said Keira. She rubbed her arms and her shoulders to brush off as much water as she could, and then shouted back across the lake: "We're on the other side!"

"Yep, I can see you!" Sig shouted back in acknowledgement.

Tess offered the torch back to Keira again, and they set off to look around.

Sig saw them disappear behind some rocks and they were out of sight. Then he got down on one knee beside Azyma, who pretended to still be very consumed with watching the moon. The two of them were alone now, and her heart began beating faster.

"I don't know what she was thinking," said Sig, "But she'd better not get into any trouble or it'll be my head on the line." He knew what Samos was like when his daughter was put in harm's way, and king of Spargus or not, if anything happened to her then he'd receive a right royal telling off.

"Well, I hope she finds what she's looking for," said Azyma.

The two of them sat quietly for a moment in the mute darkness of the trees, each drifting into their own thoughts. Azyma found it difficult to draw her attention away from Sig, while Sig himself kept scanning the lake for signs of Keira and Tess. No sight of them yet.

Sig spoke again. "I wish there were more places like this out in Spargus."

Azyma turned to look at him. "What's it like there?" she asked.

Sig smiled. "Well, it's not a town for the weak. Out in the Wasteland, you need to know how to survive. Everyone's always ready for a fight, for there are many dangers lurking right outside our walls. My palace is built into a giant rock overlooking the sea, and there's an arena where combat tournaments take place. Everyone has to prove themselves in the arena to show us that they're strong enough to survive."

He looked up at the trees again. "We haven't got any forests, but we've got beaches."

"Beaches?" said Azyma. Now that was something she'd like to see. She'd never been to a beach before, and hoped one day to visit one for a holiday. Spargus seemed like the right place for one, but she wasn't so sure about it from the other points Sig had mentioned. It had the locale, but perhaps wasn't the friendliest place in the world. "What are they like?"

"As far as beaches go, they're alright," said Sig, "They ain't perfect, but it's better than nothing."

Then they heard Keira from the other side of the lake again. She shouted over to them: "We've had a look around, and it looks like the same place from before! We're coming back now."

"Good!" Sig shouted back.

Azyma felt pleased with their success. As Keira swam back through the cold water, she remembered their last trip to the forest and how at peace they felt. But she'd only really seen the place properly at night, and she liked Sig's idea of coming back in the daytime to view the forest in all its glory. After all, they didn't have to rush off to manage the Naughty Ottsel anymore. She thought she'd suggest it to them; they ought to make the most of their spare time.

Keira climbed back onto the bank and stood before them once again, beaming with the content glow of discovery. She was quite certain now that the place they had just been to was the hidden area they had first uncovered six nights ago, and the whole area was indeed linked up to the one single giant forest. Then Azyma made her suggestion.

"Shall we come back tomorrow in the daytime?" she asked, "I mean I'd like to see what this place is like in the light, and have a good look around."

"Sure," said Keira, pulling a towel from her bag and drying herself off briskly, "Maybe we could all go for a swim too? It's really liberating."

Thinking back to her earlier thoughts about a beach holiday, she decided that this would be a good place to start. Tomorrow they would go out and buy a swimsuit for her, and then come back here and have a really good time together. She was very much looking forward to it. Sig was only too happy to come back and watch over them all, and all minds that night were in agreement.

After getting her clothes on again, Keira led them back through the forest the way they had come, behind the waterfall and through the hidden ravine to the warp gate atop the cliff side. She glanced back at the rock pile where the hidden entrance was, and still could not see any trace of it. That didn't matter though; they now had a better way into the forest, and tomorrow they would be returning once again.


	15. Bathing in Green Light

Azyma was the first to wake the next morning. She sat up in the bed, and looked over to where Keira slept on the spare mattress on the bedroom floor. Tess was curled up on an extra pillow close by. Quietly, Azyma got out of the bed and left the room. She had a quick wash in the bathroom and proceeded downstairs. It didn't seem like anybody else was up yet, so she had the area to herself for a while. Samos had actually already set off for the Freedom Headquarters a short while before to check for updates on the situation, and was busy talking with the rest of the team right now.

As Azyma entered the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards for some food, she heard the front door opening. Who was that? She looked into the next room to see, and it was in fact Sig who had just entered the building. Almost at once he spotted Azyma.

"Hey Azyma," he said, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, thanks," she answered, "Where have you just been?"

"Ah, I went over to the Freedom Building in the night to catch up on things," he explained, "Samos came just a moment ago, and he sent me back here to check on you all."

"Oh right," said Azyma, "Learn anything new?"

"Not much," said Sig, "Same old stuff. Still no signs of our perp, but the Freedom boys are combing the whole city for him. He can run, but he can't hide."

"That's good to hear, Sig," said Azyma, "I was just about to have some breakfast, want to join me?"

She felt very brave asking that question, and eagerly anticipated the response.

"Yeah, why not?" said Sig, "I got nothing to do right now." He took one step forward but then froze as an electronic buzz sounded. He reached into one of his bags that hung on his belt and fetched out a small gadget: something that to Azyma looked like a remote screen with stiff aerials on top. He stared at the screen for a few seconds as he read the message that had just been beamed to him, and his face became a fixed frown. "Damn!" he said quietly.

"What is it?" asked Azyma.

Sig returned the device to the bag whence it had come, and then looked at Azyma with regret in his eye.

"Sorry to split the party early, but it looks like I've got to go," he announced.

"Why? What's happened?" asked Azyma, trying to hide her worry.

"Trouble back home," he explained, "All the time I'm in Spargus and nothing interesting ever happens, but the day after I leave, Marauders besiege the place! It's a big attack, and I need to defend my kingdom and my people."

Azyma didn't quite know what to say to that. She thought it a little unfair that Sig had to be dragged away like this just when she was getting the confidence to speak with him properly. But there was nothing she could do about it, and Sig had to get back to Spargus.

"I'll have to let Samos know as well," he said, "This is serious. Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now, Azyma. I'll be back as soon as I can, once this problem's been sorted. Say goodbye to the others for me, won't ya? And good luck catching that bad guy."

He turned to leave, and Azyma was sad to see him go. He ducked through the doorway and onto the front step, but just before he went any further, Azyma called out to him one last time.

"Sig!"

Sig looked back over his shoulder.

"Just be careful..." Her voice trailed away into a whisper, but Sig caught it.

He smiled at her concern. "Don't you worry about me, baby," he said, "You just look after yourself and stay beautiful. This won't take long. See ya."

Without another word he departed from the building and into the street. Azyma slowly followed until she stood outside and watched him from the porch, striding ever further away from her and into the early morning light of the city streets. She watched until she could see him no more, and was left alone on the doorstep; there weren't even any other citizens around at this hour, and she felt suddenly very cold and lonely. She shivered, and felt the unforgettable chill of detachment rise up from the concrete beneath her bare feet all the way through her body. At last, with nothing else for her to do, she went back inside and quietly closed the front door.

**_[Picture: cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-15-335815964]_**

She had to sit alone for what felt like a very long time to her before she was joined by company. It was Tess who came down the stairs next, and Azyma's sorrow did not go unnoticed. She was left to explain the situation about Sig, and passed on his goodbyes like he had asked, but kept quiet her true thoughts and feelings. Despite this though, Tess was able to detect a much deeper emotion in her, but did not mention it out of respect.

When Keira came down later, the process was repeated. But Keira was supportive as always, and understood the situation. Though he'd only been with them for a day, Sig's company had been much appreciated, and all three of them looked forward to his eventual return.

As the morning wore on, and breakfast was out of the way, they sat down together and began drawing plans for today's trip back into the forest. Even though Sig wasn't here anymore, last night had shown that there really was nothing to fear out in the woods, and it was definitely safe to head back in again freely. They proposed to go over there some time in the afternoon, and maybe stay there until the evening if the weather held out, which it probably would; it was another beautiful day in the city, and everyone always did their best to make the most of days like this when they came. The place became much more cheerful when it was warm and sunny, and now the war was seemingly at an end, perhaps the summer life would make a welcome return to the city.

"We should go and find you a swimsuit first of all," said Keira to Azyma, "I'm sure they'll have one in the market somewhere."

Azyma agreed. She felt much more open to the idea of giving it a go now than she did yesterday; plus, she no longer felt too nervous about revealing so much of herself now that Sig wouldn't be around to see.

The discussions continued, when there came a knock on the front door. They weren't expecting anybody, so Keira went to answer it and found her mechanic friends from the hangar standing there.

"Hey Keira!" they said.

Their visit brought a smile to Keira's face; she had almost forgotten about them in all the excitement of the last few days. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked.

"We came along to see how you were. We haven't seen you for a while."

"Oh yeah," said Keira, rubbing the back of her head, "It's been a rough week."

"Yeah, we heard you were down at the Naughty Ottsel when it went up," they said.

"Well, I wasn't actually there when it happened," she explained, "But I rushed over there to help out my friends as soon as I saw it. I ended up probably saving their lives. They're living here with me now."

As she said that, the heads of Azyma and Tess popped around the door frame, prompting the mechanics to notice them and say hello once again.

"Sounds like you're really living up to Jak's legacy!" said the mechanics, and this flattered Keira.

"Anyway," she continued, "Do you guys want to come in for a drink or anything?"

"Ah, we're heading back to work actually," they explained, "They've opened the garage again and we were coming to see if you knew."

"No, I didn't," answered Keira, "Um, I'm a little busy with other things today, but I might head over there again tomorrow some time. Is that OK?"

"Sure, no problem," said the guys, "Whatever you need, Keira. We'll keep some vehicles waiting for you."

"Thanks guys," she said, "See you then."

They left and then the girls returned to the kitchen to finish off their plans.

Later that day, Samos returned, still with no substantial updates. He had been made aware of Sig's departure, and had approved it since there was nothing of greater importance he could do in the city right now. He also did not mind about the girls going back to the forest unaccompanied; if neither the Freedom Guards nor Sig had reported anything there, there was obviously no danger.

In the afternoon, the girls went out together to the shops and purchased a one-piece swimsuit for Azyma that she liked the look of, as black as her hair. Then after returning home again for a short while to make the final preparations, they packed together all of their necessary equipment and departed for the lush greenery of Haven Forest for the third time.

The sky was just beginning to glow orange with the falling sun when they arrived through the warp portal. This time, Keira didn't even feel the need to look at the rock wall on the left again; she could return to the hidden gorge where lay the passage to the forest they had discovered the previous night. Since it was lighter, it was easier to see the way, but the gorge was still shadowy and ominous. It was a good thing they had packed some torches just to be on the safe side.

Through the tunnel and past the waterfall they crept until they stood once again amid the mystic trees, this time in the sunlight. The place looked a fantastic mesh of bright colours now, a mix of green and gold and burnt orange. This was the first time Azyma and Tess had had the opportunity to take in the full beauty of the unveiled forest, and they were struck with awe by what they set eyes on.

"It all looks so different!" said Azyma. For her, this was a unique experience. In the night she had felt nervous and uneasy, but now she could see the forest for what it truly was, she felt welcomed and at peace.

Keira's attention was immediately drawn left to the path they had travelled last night. The way was lit by sunbeams breaking through the canopy, and far in the distance she could make out the deep blue of the lake between the trees.

"Come on," she said, and pressed on.

It didn't take them long at all to retrace their steps, and they stood by the lakeside once again as they took in the sight. Keira could definitely see in the light now that this really was the place she had seen from the other side of the lake. She could see the raised bank she had rested on, and just beyond that she could make out the stream trickling its way through the rocks, the very same stream they had followed on their first visit.

The lake itself was still, and small insects buzzed their way over the surface, which quivered in small ripples whenever they zipped across it. Beneath, the bottom of the lake could just be made out, and they could see now that it wasn't that deep in places. Small patches of weeds danced around in the water, and little fish innocently swam their way through and around them, going about their own untroubled lives with a graceful ignorance of what took place above the water's surface. From one of the trees a lonely leaf fell and tumbled into the centre of the lake where it floated aimlessly around in slow circles. All was silent except for the calls of unseen birds and the rustling of the plants behind them.

"Well, here we are," said Keira, finally breaking the natural quietness. She dropped her bag down onto the ground behind her and took in a deep breath, absorbing the clean air which felt wondrous for her lungs.

Tess lay down and sprawled herself out in the long grass, taking in the sun and the softness of the earth. Azyma just sat down and looked on. She thought of it as her own personal holiday, with no worries or places to get to; just herself, her friends, and a whole load of time to spend just relaxing in this wonderful place.

When she looked back at Keira, she was already undressing. Once again she had donned her swimsuit underneath her clothes, and she threw them aside into a crumpled pile beside her bag. Then she turned to Azyma and Tess.

"Well, you coming yet?" she asked.

Tess sat up and Azyma looked back at the lake. It did look inviting, and the warm air was making her feel the need to cool off. But her inhibitions held her back. She still felt shy about getting into the water, and was a little embarrassed by the fact that she could not swim very well (she had never had the chance to learn how). She had kept this a secret from the others, but now was uncertain of how she could continue to keep it up. Her heartbeat started racing again.

"Yeah, in a minute," she said, "Just taking in the scene a bit longer."

"Alright," said Keira, and at once headed straight for the water. She stepped into the shallows, and at once could see the difference made by the warm sunlight on the water's temperature. No longer was it frigidly cold, but refreshingly cool. As she reached the deep part, she raised her arms above her head, bent over and dived in head-first, to re-emerge a few seconds later with her hair plastered down over her eyes. She pushed it back and felt absolutely elated by the experience. It was just like being back at her old village, where she would often take long swims in the sea. She called out: "This is great, guys! Come on in!"

The excitement in her voice enticed Azyma and Tess into standing up, and they couldn't resist being drawn in. Azyma, still conscious of her lack of confidence, tried to put on a brave face and started to slowly pull her shirt off. Like Keira, she was wearing her new swimsuit under her clothes. Tess however held no bars, and was faster to act. She was perfectly content to strip off completely, which she commenced to do. (As she had fully expected, there were no existing swimsuits which would fit her, and since she only had one set of clothes that actually did, she had grown accustomed to occasionally putting up without them for a while, like when they were being washed. As Daxter had once said to her: if he could do it, why couldn't she?)

She felt a great sense of freedom as she plunged into the shallow end of the lake, and after making sure she could stay afloat properly, attempted some swimming. She at first tried swimming as she had always done in human form, but found it less than adequate now and could not make significant movement in the water. So instead she began experimenting with her more streamlined Ottsel body to find a new technique that suited it. She adapted quickly, almost instinctively even, and was soon gliding across the water's surface with ease, using swift swishes of her tail to propel her forwards.

Azyma however was just approaching the water. She tested it with her foot. Seemed cool enough. Slowly wading in, she approached where Keira was floating around in deeper water. She felt hesitant to venture out beyond her depth, and eventually stopped when she was in waist-deep.

"This isn't so bad," she said smiling.

"You see?" said Keira, and then she launched into a powerful front crawl out into the centre of the lake.

Azyma did not follow, but when neither Keira nor Tess were watching her, she tried to practise her swimming in the shallows. She squatted down so the water level was at her shoulders, and then pushed herself forwards and outstretched her limbs. She travelled a short distance, but when her momentum ran out she sank, despite her best efforts to stay afloat. She righted herself and looked over at Keira, scrutinising her movements carefully. She tried again, this time doing her best to imitate what she saw being done. But she sank again and came back to the surface with a wild splash.

Keira heard the noise and looked to see Azyma wallowing in the shallows, so she headed back over to her.

"You alright?" she called.

"Yeah I'm fine," replied Azyma, wiping her long hair out of her face. Surely now she thought Keira would have noticed the difficulty she was having. She came up to her in the water, shortly joined by Tess.

"Are you sure? It looked like you were in trouble." Then Keira figured it out. "You can't swim, can you?"

Azyma shook her head in shame. Keira however handled it very well.

"Don't worry about that," she said reassuringly, resting a hand on Azyma's shoulder, "I'll teach you sometime."

"Really?" asked Azyma.

"Yeah, I mean, I'll do the best that I can."

Azyma was touched by this show of kindness, and it only deepened her appreciation for her.

"Thank you so much!" she said and gave Keira a massive wet hug. Tess smiled at the sight of such friendship.

For the rest of that day, the girls frolicked around together in the lake and had a wonderful time in the natural setting of the forest. Often Keira would go and swim laps around the perimeter while Azyma sat and watched from the shallows. She even made a game of climbing some of the rocks and dive-bombing into the deep water, which Tess also joined in on. As the sun fell lower and dusk loomed, they resigned to lounging around in the shallows, just talking and watching the sky change colours. The green sun was out again tonight, and it hovered between the gaps in the canopy and gave the lake a leafy tinge to blend in with the rest of the plant life all around. To bathe in the green light felt very therapeutic.

Night came and the waters grew cold, so they sat on the grass bank wrapped in their towels with their feet bathing in the shallow lake edge. They were startled a little when after a while, a shoal of tiny fish came to nibble at their toes, but they didn't splash them away and just left them to it, giving them a pleasant tickling sensation as they sat and dried off.

The night deepened but still they felt no need to leave the peacefulness of the forest. They were dry now, and just lazed around on the soft grass and talked into the late hours. It was another warm summer night, and they didn't even bother with putting their clothes back on again, and just chilled out in their swimsuits.

"This has been a great evening!" said Azyma.

"Yeah," agreed Tess, "I love it here. It's so quiet and undisturbed."

"Next time we can make a start on those swimming lessons, eh Azyma?" said Keira.

Azyma nodded. She was looking forward to it very much.

All around them, Keira thought she heard the plants whispering again.

"I wonder what the time is," said Tess, "Out here we seem to lose all sense of time and routine."

Unfortunately they had not brought a clock with them so they couldn't be sure, but it wasn't important. All they needed to do was watch the sky for changes in contrast. There was no rush at all.

But then Tess detected something and she sat bolt upright, her ears twisting in all directions.

"What was that?"

Before anyone else had any time to react properly, a gloved hand suddenly seized Azyma by the hair and pulled her backwards. She screamed but her voice was muffled as the hand clasped over her mouth and held her against the ground struggling. Keira felt hands on her as well, but quickly wrestled free of their grip and rolled to her feet, turning round to face several black figures bearing down on them. Who or what were they?

Before she could get a good look at them though, the one nearest to her lurched forwards to grab her again, with forceful talon-like fingers that were cold even in gloves, and she had to jump aside to just narrowly avoid being caught.

Tess sprang forth at the head of the figure that had detained Azyma, and clawed away at where she thought the eyes were, sending the figure reeling back in cries of anguish. Azyma tried to get up, but as she was on her knees another strong hand caught her and flung her back down again, this time face down in the grass. She was pinned there, and could just see Keira struggling with her assailants through the grass blades.

Keira was putting up a hell of a fight against them, and between jumps and dodges she swung a few fists of her own in an attempt to defend herself. But the situation grew graver as the figures she engaged abandoned trying to merely grab her and began making direct offences in retaliation.

Her actions summoned a new strength and determination inside Azyma, and with a frightening roar she pushed off the ground and shoved herself against the figure holding her down, knocking it off balance and loosening its grip. This burst of muscle power surprised even herself, and in her short moment of advantage, she turned over and pushed the figure away with both feet, and it tumbled backwards into the dark lake. She sprang to her feet in less than a second, taking up a nearby rock with one hand and hurling it at the nearest advancing figure with such a force that the collision sounded like a gunshot. She didn't know what she'd hit, but if that was a skull or a bone cracking, it sounded sickening. Two more figures raced towards her, and she swung wildly at them with a primal battle shriek.

Tess still clung to the head of the first attacker, and scampered all over it dealing as much damage in as many places as possible. When hands reached up to grab her, she scuttled down a neck and onto what felt like a coat. There she found an opening and raced inside. Feeling bare flesh under her paws, she began biting and scratching all over, eliciting more screams from the figure.

A fist glanced Keira's left ear, and then she seemed to be enveloped by the figure in front of her. She felt large hands tighten around her neck which squeezed the air out of her, but then she kicked up hard between the legs of her attacker, which sent it limping away out of sight, accompanied by a hiss of curses and agonised groans. She tried to call out to Azyma and Tess, but the attack on her neck left her voice frail and croaking.

Tess could taste the blood of her opponent and clawed and chewed away mercilessly at the skin beneath the coat, but was then yanked out by the tail. Keira saw this amid the chaos, and witnessed Tess get swung around in the air and then hurled into a tree trunk, where she crashed to the ground and lay broken and motionless. The shock of what she had just witnessed set in only briefly, overshadowed by anger and fear, but it was long enough to serve as a distraction and she was caught from behind by another attacker who restrained her arms, leaving her vulnerable and open to another assault. She struggled all she could but could ultimately do nothing as another figure stepped before her and brought a forceful knee up into her stomach. The air was knocked out of her and she felt very sick, slumping forwards with a dry gasp in the grip of the one behind her, but was then yanked back into an upright position, and received two violent blows to the face, a left and a right, which left her stunned and dizzy.

The striker knew he had won and moved away, and the one who held her from behind let go. She immediately fell forwards onto her face, and everything in her vision was a swirling mess of dark colours that slowly grew dimmer and dimmer. She began to lose consciousness, haunted by the muffled screams of Azyma as she was left to face the remaining enemies alone.

Then everything went black and she knew no more.


	16. Shadow Scars

The next thing Keira was aware of was a feeling of disorientation. All she could see was black, and opening her eyes made no difference. Her face was lying against something, but there was no way of telling what it was. She tried moving but nothing happened. There was no feeling below her neck, and this worried her. She moved the only thing she could, and managed to slowly open her mouth, which was a struggle. Her face felt stiff and she perceived the sensation of it cracking and breaking as she exercised the muscles. Her lips brushed against whatever she was lying on, and it tasted peculiar yet strangely familiar. She tried moving some more, but her head felt heavy and swollen, so she resigned to staying still.

Since her vision and movement couldn't help her get a sense of her surroundings, she next turned her full attention to what she could hear. Nothing. Her ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton wool, and all she could detect was a dull ringing of tinnitus inside her head. Now she'd heard it she could not ignore it, and it tormented her as she lay unable to move.

To her relief it eventually faded, and she was able to hear things again, though soft and distant. The first sound she heard was birdsong, which seemed to calm her mightily. Then bubbling water. Then a soft breeze blowing through leaves. Where was she?

She found it difficult to remember, but she knew it was there somewhere. Too much thought burned her mind, and she was pained by it so much that she had to stop. For a minute or so, she just listened, hoping the sounds would trigger some memory somewhere. But they didn't.

She totted up what she had established. She was in a dark place, possibly outside, she could not move and she didn't even know where her body was. Everything felt numb. She was frightened, and she felt all sense of self-awareness flow out of her through a hole in her head. Then ever so slowly, the darkness grew around her and she slipped back into unconsciousness.

When she awoke again, she could still see blackness, but this time there was form, albeit in poor contrast and much too blurred to make anything out. The sounds she had heard earlier were still present, and for a moment they span around her until they seemed to settle and stop in direct positions. But now she had strength, and no longer felt separated from her body. She twitched a finger, and could feel the energy run up her arm to her shoulder. That was good. She used the same technique to find her other arm, and once she had control of both of them, she tensed her muscles to get the blood flowing again. She lifted them up, bent her elbows and then placed both palms flat down on soft organic material.

Summoning the strength, she pushed up to support herself with her arms, and saw the blackness retreat away from her. Her vision corrected itself and she was looking down at a patch of grass, but it was the wrong colour. Shouldn't grass be green? This grass was dark red. She twisted her neck and looked left and then right at each hand. The grass they were on was green.

The flexing of her back muscles alerted her to the presence of her legs. She flexed those too, and was now on all fours staring at the ground and the puzzling red patch of grass. It was only a small patch, about the size of a pancake, and she struggled to understand why it was there.

She blinked a few times, and then took in a long breath, but choked on something and coughed suddenly and harshly. Half a tooth was spat from her mouth and landed in the red grass. Why had that happened?

Without looking up, her memory and rational thought began returning. The ambient sounds told her she was in the forest. Yes, that's right. She was in the forest last night. But what had happened to her? She'd been lying on the ground clearly, and she was weak. Wasn't she with someone? Yes, yes she was. She could remember screams and being in pain. Why was her face throbbing with warmth?

Then she remembered the dark figures, and twitched impulsively as she relived the punches she had received. Her mouth fell open and her head drooped down, revealing a familiar-shaped imprint in the grass where she had fallen. She returned her gaze to where her head had rested: it was the red grass. It was stained with blood.

She tilted her head upwards now, and looked around her. It was still dim, but she could see enough to tell her she was indeed still in the forest. Everything was quiet. But ahead of her she saw something that didn't appear to fit in with the scene. An orange fuzz amid the dark green was heaped up at the foot of a moss-covered tree trunk, amid the gnarled roots. Then Keira's heart froze solid as she realised that it was Tess.

She crawled over with all the speed she could muster, calling out to her in a whisper.

"Tess... Tess..."

When she stopped only a few inches from her, she trembled at the sight of the Ottsel's twisted body. She called to her again, and gently nudged her with her hand in an attempt to wake her. But she did not stir. At a loss of what else to do, Keira looked around frantically for non-existent help. But then a barely audible groan came from Tess, and she opened her eyes.

"Tess!" Keira whispered.

Tess stared up at the face above her, and recognised it to be Keira's. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

"What happened to you?" she asked in a voice that was barely above a croak.

"Never mind about me," said Keira, who had not yet seen the terrible state of her face, "It's you I'm more worried about."

"I'm feeling bad," spoke Tess. She followed the movement of Keira's eyes with her own, and then tried to turn her neck to look down her own body, but was stopped instantly by burning pain.

"Stay still!" said Keira, "Don't move." That was all the advice she could give. Tess was in such a bad way that Keira wondered how on earth she could possibly still be conscious. She was no doctor, but she knew a broken bone when she saw one, and Tess had a lot.

"Where's Azyma?" asked Tess.

Keira's eyes widened. She had no idea. She looked all around but could see no sign of her, save for her clothes which still lay in a pile by the lakeside. Keira called out, but got no answer. Where was she?

She looked back down to Tess. "I don't know where she is," she said, "I can't see her. Listen, I need to get you to my father. You just lie still."

Tess silently agreed as Keira crawled away towards where her bag lay. She gathered up their clothes as she went, and bundled them separately near the bag. She sat on her haunches and rummaged around inside for her communicator, but it was disturbingly absent.

"No!" she said, "Where is it?"

Tess could hear the urgency in Keira's voice, and sensed more trouble. She couldn't turn her head to see, but was able to understand the dire situation by everything she heard.

"I can't find the communicator!" Keira said. She checked the bundles of clothes, and then the bag again. Nothing. She dropped the bag with a sigh, and craned her neck upwards in frustration. "It's not here!"

"Look again!" said Tess.

Keira did, but it still yielded nothing. She felt lost in hopelessness and stared up at the sky, which was cast in a sorrowful deep blue, heralding the arrival of the morning sun. Then she looked down at the lake of equal hue, the lake where only a few hours ago they had spent such an enjoyable time together. She had another look around for Azyma, but again, she could not be found.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-16-336238378]**_

Keira understood there was only one thing to do now. With no way of contacting her father, she would have to find him herself. There was no other way. She scooped all the clothes and equipment back into the bag, and dragged the whole thing back to where Tess lay.

"Tess, listen, I know you're hurt bad, but we've got to get out of here. I'm going to have to carry you."

Tess closed her eyes and exhaled. She knew that this was going to be painful.

"I don't think I can move, Keira," said Tess, "Just leave me and find help by yourself."

"I can't leave you here," said Keira, "What if those... things come back? You won't be able to defend yourself."

"Keira... I can't..." Tess panted. She was sweating with terror, knowing that if she moved even one inch, unbearable pain would grip her and refuse to let go. The sight of her in this way brought Keira to an absolute standstill. She couldn't put her friend through this. Then a glimmer of hope appeared in her mind. It was a crazy idea, but crazy enough to try.

She thought back to the night when the Naughty Ottsel burned down, and how her father had healed Azyma with a sweep of his hand. With great dedication, Keira repeated the motion over Tess, focussing all of her thought and power into the intention of healing her. She visualised a flow of green eco emanating from her open palm, but it did not come. Tess was confused.

"What are you doing?"

Keira did not answer, and tried again. She channelled all of her will into the motion, now trying to force the eco out of her, until she was red in the face and shaking all over. It was no use, nothing was happening, and she had to stop before she ran out of breath.

"What are you doing?" asked Tess again.

"Never mind," sighed Keira, "We've got to do something to help you."

"Just go," said Tess, "I'll be fine. But see if you can find Azyma first. She might have escaped."

With uncertainty in her heart, Keira took a last look at her stricken and helpless friend. "I'll come right back, I promise," she said, and moved away.

She crawled the first few yards, and then managed to stagger up to her feet. Her legs trembled, but she steadied herself and pressed on. She followed the rough direction she remembered coming from the previous night, and went stumbling past trees and through bushes and leaves, frantically searching for any signs of Azyma. Her hope grew less as she continued without success.

She had made it back to the waterfall near the entrance, and leant against one of the trees there to rest. That short journey had really tired her. As she regained her breath, she noticed how thirsty she was. She was hungry too, but all of her supplies that she had left were back with Tess and the bag. Looking around, she could see that Azyma still wasn't there, and then she lumbered over to the lakeside and kneeled down to take a drink. The water was cool and fresh, and drinking it really gave her some strength back. She took several handfuls, and then looked down at her own reflection once the waters fell still.

What she saw made her freeze and stare. Was that really her? She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her face was encrusted with dried blood from a cut above her right eye and the corner of her mouth. Her cheeks had been reduced to two swollen purple bruises, and grass blades clung to them, having been stuck on by the dry blood. Her mouth fell open with shock and she could see that part of a tooth was missing; it had been that piece she had spat out earlier. She raised a hand to her cheek but withdrew immediately as the touch triggered a sting of pain.

Feeling desecrated, she let out a cry, half scream and half gasp, and splashed cold water from the lake onto her face. Then she fell onto her back and just lay breathing heavily and looking up through the branches above. It took a long while for her to finally sit up again and return to the search. Azyma definitely was not here, and if she had left the forest already, she could be anywhere by now. Maybe she was fetching help? Maybe she had escaped from the fight and was back in the city looking for backup? Or maybe...

Keira didn't want to think about other possibilities. She had to return to Tess now. On her way back she still kept a sharp eye open in case she had missed any clues.

Tess was growing more and more uncomfortable as the minutes ticked by. Even breathing was painful. And there was a nasty root sticking into her back as well, which didn't help things at all. It only reminded her of her frail condition. But little relief came when Keira's face appeared above her again.

"I can't see Azyma anywhere," said Keira, "I've gone back to the waterfall and there's nothing there."

Tess knew that things were bad. She was stuck here with no way of calling for help, and her mind sank into despair when she understood that Keira's plan was the only option.

"Tess..." said Keira, "I've got to get you out of here and back to my father as quickly as possible. There's nothing else for it. I'm going to have to carry you."

Tess begged her to just leave and bring Samos to her, and though Keira was nearly persuaded by her pleas, she just could not abandon her in the condition she was in.

"I can't leave you here alone," she said, "Look, I've got an idea."

She reached into the bag and pulled out some of the clothes, laying them on the flat ground beside Tess and explaining every movement she made. She grabbed some sturdy looking sticks and branches and laid them on top of the clothes side by side in a line. Wrapping the clothes around them so they stayed fixed together in a bundle, she was able to construct a tiny stretcher. She picked it up a few times to test its strength, and while it was not perfect, it was the best she could do.

Then came the most heart wrenching moment of Keira's life. After a great debate with poor Tess, she finally agreed to be transported out of the forest, though she was not looking forward to it. Keira placed the little stretcher as close as she could to where Tess lay, and braced herself for what she was about to do.

"You ready?" she asked, shaking with nerves.

"Just do it," said Tess, and she closed her eyes tightly and awaited the inevitable pain.

Keira steadied her hands and slowly slid them underneath Tess's body, taking great care to be as gentle as she possibly could. But despite what she did, Tess could not escape the discomfort. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Keira lifted Tess off from where she lay and moved her slowly over to the stretcher. With every tiny movement, Tess cried in agony and panted incessantly, which only added to the pain, and all Keira could do was repeat over and over again: "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She was hoping she would faint.

Tess was gently laid down onto the makeshift stretcher where she did her best to ignore the unbearable pain, but it was an impossible task. Her face said it all to Keira, who was so upset she found it difficult to continue. But she had to.

After Tess had had time to adjust to her new position, Keira set about securing her to the stretcher. She tied Azyma's top around it as tightly as she could without causing further discomfort, just enough to keep Tess from sliding off it.

"OK, the worst part's over," said Keira, trying to be reassuring.

Tess closed her eyes and tried to breathe calmly and slowly. She was still nowhere near comfortable, but at least it was only temporary, she thought. While she was lying on this, moving her would be easier for Keira, as long as it supported her weight.

"Whenever you're ready, Tess," said Keira.

After a little while, Tess responded. "Alright, let's go."

Keira closed up the bag and slung it over her back, then made to pick up the stretcher. She placed her hands underneath it to support from below, and lifted slowly. As it rose from the ground, it held out and this gave them both great hope for the rest of the journey. Keira walked slowly, keeping the stretcher level and held out in front of her. She kept an eye on Tess at all times as their solemn procession advanced through the trees and back towards the waterfall. Tess kept her eyes closed most of the time, and when she occasionally opened them it was to ask Keira where they were or how much further they had to go. When they needed to, Keira lay down the stretcher to give Tess a short rest, before ambling on in perpetual diligence.

Getting around the waterfall was the toughest part of the journey. Keira had to traverse the wet rocks and grass banks without her hands free to support herself. Several times she thought she would fall, which would have been disastrous, but her ardent duty of getting Tess out of there pushed her on and made her aware of everything around her, so she paid attention to every aspect of the environment to find the best way forward.

After leaving the waterfall behind, the journey continued up through the gorge and into the temple complex. It was much easier from here on, but Keira did not hasten and kept Tess's comfort as the priority. Around every corner she hoped to see Azyma coming towards them with help she had found, or possibly even Samos coming to the rescue, but it did not happen.

As they reached the warp portal, the sun was just rising over the mountains behind them. Here they stopped and Keira looked upon the morning glow of the city far below. She knew that taking Tess through the warp portal would not do her any good, so she lay her down by the rocks carefully and explained the next stage of her plan.

"I'm going to find help," she said, "I'll come straight back as soon as I find someone."

"Alright," answered Tess, feeling closer to safety now that they had reached the warp portal. Also, she was beginning to get used to the pain, not so much that it was no longer a discomfort, but to her it was a satisfying improvement.

Before Keira jumped through the portal, she took a last look at Tess and made sure she was far away enough to avoid getting stepped on when she came back through again. Materialising at the bottom of the gorge, Keira moved as quickly as she could through the gate in the city wall and back inside the safety of Haven. To her annoyance, not many people were in the immediate vicinity, but there was a lone Freedom Guard on patrol not too far away, with his back to her. She chased after him immediately, calling out and waving for his attention.

"Guard!"

Hearing the noise, he turned around and started in surprise upon seeing a bloody-faced girl racing towards him in nothing but a bikini. He nearly dropped his gun. Even after all the intense action he'd seen in the wars, there were still things he could not be prepared for.

"Are you alright, miss?" he asked, not quite sure of where to look.

"Please, my friend is hurt in the Mountain Temple!" said Keira, "She needs help."

The Freedom Guard got out his radio. "I'll call for emergency transport," he said, "We'll get her out of there as quickly as possible."

"No!" said Keira, "She needs Samos, not transport!"

The guard looked puzzled. "I don't think Samos would come away from his work just to help rescue someone."

Keira suddenly exploded in anger. "I'm his daughter!" she roared, "Now get him on the radio!"

The guard froze, and then hastily dialled for Samos. Upon hearing his voice answer, Keira snatched the radio from the guard and spoke into it before he'd even had a chance to say anything.

"Daddy! Daddy, it's Keira!"

"Keira?" said Samos, "What is it? What's happened?"

"Daddy, Tess is hurt! We were attacked in the forest by these... things! You've got to get down here and help her! She's by the warp gate at the Mountain Temple."

"I'm on my way," said Samos, "What about you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just a bit bruised," gasped Keira, "Please hurry!"

"Alright. I'm coming," Samos said, "Just hang in there."

Keira heard the radio click off and then handed it back to the guard, who was no longer willing to argue with who he knew to be Samos's daughter. He followed her as she ran off back through the city wall, offering his help but Keira either didn't hear him or chose to ignore him completely.

Through the warp gate again and atop the rocky valley, Keira crouched down beside Tess and told her the good news. It was a relief for both of them, and Keira carefully unwrapped the clothes from the little stretcher to give Tess room to breathe and finally relax a little. The guard stood behind them, taking in the situation. He recognised them now; he had seen them trying to get into the Freedom HQ Building the morning after the cruisers returned from their battle over the ocean. He'd been on duty then, and had to tell them to move on. But where was the other girl who'd been with them that day?

Keira then heard the familiar sounds of Hellcat engines drawing near, and looked to see one of the bright blue vehicles zooming over the city in the distance.

"Daddy's here!" said Keira to Tess, who just managed to force a smile. The journey had really weakened her, and now she was slipping towards unconsciousness again. She was losing focus of Keira's face, and her voice grew fainter and fainter. When she thought she could hold on no longer and everything around her was dark, she felt a pleasant warmth course through her entire body, accompanied by a soft green glow. The pain lessened and felt like it was being lifted right out of her body to scatter into the air above her. Her body stiffened as bones reconnected and tendons fused back together, but then she felt weightless, as if she was floating in an ocean of clouds with a cool breeze. She felt euphoric, adrift and at peace. Then the light faded and there was nothing else.


	17. Lost

Keira examined her face in the bathroom mirror. Once again it had returned to its flawless complexion she was glad to see, courtesy of her father and the healing capacities of green eco. Nobody would ever have known the damage she had suffered last night. But there was something that the eco could not repair: she drew back her lips and saw the broken tooth in her mouth; that was permanent damage. Fortunately it was near the back of her mouth so it didn't show that much, even when she smiled. And of course, the mental scars she had endured could not be so easily cured either. She would never forget that night.

But what pleased her the most was that she could actually recognise her own reflection again. What she had seen in the water back in the forest had definitely not been her. That night had been so full of fear and dread, and seeing herself in such a state was too much for her to bear. She was usually quite conscious of her own appearance, and would often spend much time in the mornings making herself look immaculate in order to get Jak's attention. But recently, she had become more indifferent in his absence, and more than once had let herself fall into a state of dishevelment over these past two weeks, having been too preoccupied with the stressful events to clean herself up in a hurry.

But now she had had a good wash and a change of clothes, and she felt the cleanest she had ever been in what felt like quite a while.

She slipped on her dressing gown and moved across the landing into her bedroom, finding Tess still resting on the bed. She had been awake for some time, and was recovering her strength. The healthy dose of green eco she had received had saved her from certain doom, and she was forever grateful to both Keira and her father for everything they had done to help her.

"How you feeling?" asked Keira.

"Much better," answered Tess, "Boy, it was hell last night. It's so great to feel my legs again."

"Do you feel like walking?"

"Let's give it a go." Tess slowly lowered herself off the bed without any assistance, and let her feet make contact with the soft carpet. She gradually added more weight until she stood unaided, and took a few proud steps away from the bed, feeling triumphant in her fast recovery.

"Well done!" said Keira, "Looks like you're well on the mend. I washed your clothes not too long ago. You might want to put them on again." She gestured over to where they were neatly folded on a pillow, and Tess went to pick them up.

"Thanks Keira," she said, getting dressed, "Did the Guard find anyone out in the forest?"

"I'm afraid not," said Keira, slumping down into her chair, "Daddy said they're still looking for clues. But whoever they were who attacked us, they've disappeared without a trace."

"I just hope Azyma's OK," said Tess.

Both were deeply saddened by the disappearance of their close friend. It had only been two weeks, yet Keira had already formed a tight bond with her, and missed her intensely. She remembered their first meeting in the Naughty Ottsel, and lost herself in memories for a moment, only to be drawn out again by Tess scrambling up her leg to rest on her lap.

"You know," she said, "I've known her for years, ever since we first met each other in the Underground. She's a tough girl. I know she's out there somewhere fighting to find us."

Keira began to stroke Tess's back out of subconscious comfort, though didn't really pay much attention to the action herself. Tess just relaxed with the gentle and soothing massage. Neither of them spoke for a while, each swimming through their own personal sea of memories. Soft wind blew through the open window, bringing with it the sounds of the city and the smell of sunshine. Keira gazed at the sky and saw grey clouds drawing near. The city's usual grimy weather was returning, which did nothing to compliment Azyma's loss.

Then they were disturbed by footsteps downstairs, which were so heavy that they felt the vibrations in the bedroom. They were followed by a call from a familiar voice that filled them with a quiet joy.

"Hello?" said the voice, "I'm back."

Tess looked up at Keira. "Is that...?"

"It's gotta be," said Keira excitedly, and they both leapt up and went downstairs to see Sig in the front room. He smiled at the sight of them, completely unaware of what sad news awaited him.

"I'm back, ladies!" he said, "Told you I wouldn't take long. Those Marauders didn't know what hit 'em!"

Keira and Tess both smiled, happy to see the desert warrior again, but their smiles didn't last long before they were reminded of what they had to say to him. Sig detected their falling emotions.

"What's the matter?" he asked uneasily, becoming aware of Azyma's absence.

Keira sighed. "Sig... while you were gone, Azyma, Tess and I went out to the forest again. But we were attacked by a group of... I don't know what they were, but Azyma's missing. We think she's been taken by those... things."

Sig was so stunned by what he heard that he nearly staggered backwards. Then he shut his eye and sank his head, feeling terrible.

"Damn... it's not my week is it? I'm sorry, and I feel so bad that I wasn't here to protect you."

"It's not your fault," said Keira, trying to console him, "We should have never gone back out there."

A heavy and uncomfortable silence hung between them. They all shared a moment of solace, before Sig looked up with a new determination in his eye.

"We've got to find her!" he said, "I can't let her remain lost out there."

"The Guard are already searching the forest," explained Tess, "And they haven't found anything yet."

"I bet it's that bad guy who torched Krew's old place," said Sig with malice, "He's gone too far now! I'll show him who he's dealing with! When he messes with my friends, he messes with me!"

He cocked his Peace Maker and stood tall and dominant in the centre of the room. Tess now self-confirmed her own suspicions: the man who had stalked Azyma on her way home that night, the man who had burned down the Naughty Ottsel, and the man who had orchestrated last night's vicious attack in the forest; they were all one and the same. Whoever he was, he must have some sort of personal grudge against Azyma. But why? She made her thoughts clear to the small group.

"We should go and check Azyma's house," said Sig, "He's probably not there, but we might find some clues. Let's go!"

Sig headed for the door, closely followed by Keira and Tess riding atop her shoulder, out into the city's troubled streets.

Azyma's house lay in a dark corner of the slums that was already cast in shadows from the other buildings. Outside the burning fuel drum glowed on, providing the nearest source of natural light. Upon arriving at the doorstep, Sig, Tess and Keira were a little distressed to find that the door was unlocked, and it swung open without them even touching it.

"Get behind me!" said Sig. Keira and Tess did as they were bid as he aimed his Peace Maker into the front room, which was dark and heavy with doubt. Sig boldly stepped inside, senses at the highest vigilance for any signs of trouble. Keira and Tess hung back uneasily by the door.

Inside the dark room, all the lights had been smashed out and there were books and plates and many other items strewn about the floor. Sig flicked a switch on the side of his weapon and the bulb on the front lit up to illuminate the way. Sig beheld the mess but saw no signs of immediate danger. With his bionic eye he scanned for heat signatures, but everything was cold. Ahead was another doorway leading into a kitchen, which Sig could see was littered with cutlery and spilled food. To his left were stairs that ascended into silent obscurity, and his attention was immediately drawn to them now. Something told him that up there was his best bet. Shining his light up the staircase he could see the way to more bleak and cluttered rooms, but nothing more.

He whispered back to Keira and Tess.

"It wasn't like this the last time we were here. Somebody has been here before us, and they were looking for something."

Keira and Tess drew up the bravery to take a few cautious paces inside the building, while Sig peered around into the front room. Nothing except smashed glass and overturned furniture was in there.

"I don't like the looks of this," whispered Tess, "It just reeks of wrong in here."

Keira was silent.

"I'm heading upstairs," said Sig. He advanced up the steps as quietly as he could, which wasn't easy as the stairs creaked with every footstep. The girls kept one eye on him and one eye on the darkness, fearing that at any moment something would jump out at them. They stayed close to the front door so they could beat a quick retreat to the relative safety of the streets if they had to. The light from Sig's weapon brought all of the shadows alive, and they moved around the room like shady animals with every step he took.

On the landing, Sig was faced with three rooms. The one straight ahead he could see into, as the door had been bashed in and was half hanging off its hinges. It looked like some sort of spare room where Azyma kept all of her junk, and it was the messiest room in the whole building. Random assorted items spilled out onto the landing and had been kicked into the next room, which Sig could see was the bathroom. The floor was all wet from a broken pipe, and the cupboard had been raided so that toothpaste, brushes and shampoo lay piled up in the sink.

With a swift turn, Sig twisted around the wall to his right to face the final room: the bedroom. The window was left open, letting in a little more light and blowing the curtains gently in the draught. Stepping carefully inside, Sig saw the bed had been ripped apart and nearly snapped in two. Sheets were scattered across the room and all of the cupboards and drawers had had their contents ejected in amongst the chaos.

"Sig?" called Keira as loudly as she dared.

"Upstairs is just as bad," he answered, "There's nobody around though. I think whoever was here before us is long gone."

This was upsetting. It only led to more questions. Keira and Tess felt as if they were in a trance of hopelessness. Their friend was missing, her house had been wrecked, and they were still no closer to knowing where she actually was. Keira had to step outside and sat down on the road with her head in her hands. Tess followed her.

"You feeling OK?" she asked.

Keira shivered. "No. I... I just don't know what to do..."

"Just stay strong, OK?" said Tess, "I'm feeling it as much as you are. We'll find her."

Keira sniffed. "Yeah, I... I hope so." Tess almost fell into tears as well, but resisted the urge to let it all out in order to provide an example to Keira.

Sig could see what was happening through Azyma's bedroom window upstairs. He couldn't help but feel bad about himself again for not being there for them when they needed him the most. Azyma was a sweet girl, and he felt compelled to find and rescue her. He took another look around the broken bedroom, and for the first time took a look into her past life. He wondered what on earth she had done to deserve this. Then he stepped on something underfoot, and looked down to see a smashed picture frame. He picked it up and observed the image, brushing the glass and dust away from it.

On the canvas were three figures. The one at the front was a child with dark hair, and behind her were two adults. The female resembled Azyma, and was almost a spitting image of her. At first Sig thought it was her, but there was something in her face that didn't quite match up with what he remembered. But if that was her, then who was the child? Then Sig got it; the child was Azyma, young and beautiful and smiling. The two other figures must have been her parents. That old image held the memories of happier times in Azyma's life, and Sig could do nothing but stare at it with a deep empathy. He knew very little about her, come to think of it, and less still of her past life. But in this picture he could see back to a time when she was happy and without the worries she had to cope with today. Where were her parents now? For this picture to remain with her in the bedroom, it must have had sentimental value.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-17-337713391]**_

He closed his eye and shook his head, overcome by a powerful sorrow and reverence for poor Azyma. This one little remnant he held in his hand was all that was left now of Azyma and her family. He wished there could have been more time to get to know her before her disappearance, but now he was left with only the unbearable sadness of memories. With a solemn breath, he slipped it into one of his bags hanging from his belt, and walked out of the room in grim silence.

Outside on the road, the air was growing cool as the shadows extended up the walls of the surrounding buildings. Looking up, Tess could see clouds accumulating in the sky, following the falling sun. Keira was still staring at the pavement, lost in a canyon of despair. Then Sig came through the front door to join them where they sat.

"I don't think there's anything more we can do here," said Sig.

"But we've got to protect Azyma's home!" said Tess, "What if whoever trashed the place comes back?"

"We'll let the Guard know," replied Sig, "And they can keep an eye on it."

"Alright," said Tess, "Let's find them. Come on Keira, we're leaving now."

Keira snuffled into her sleeve and readied herself, but it took a lot of effort just to raise her head, which was heavy with thick tension. But then a pleasant sight gave her the strength she needed to carry on. Hovering in front of her was the great hand of Sig, outstretched and open in an offer of assistance. Keira reached up and clutched on, and was pulled up onto her feet by Sig's mighty strength. That one sign of support made her feel better already. She understood now that she had friends to help her when she needed them, and a loving, tender warmth rejuvenated her body and mind. It was the same feeling Azyma had experienced, coming straight from the altruistic support Keira herself had given to her. Now Keira felt it too, but from Sig. He didn't say anything, but the look on his face did more for Keira than any words could have done.

Eyes red from unfallen tears, she managed to form a comforting smile in response. Then together, they left the sorry scene and walked back to the depths of the city, leaving behind them the lonely and shattered building that had once been the home of a dear and sweet friend, now lost in fate's whirling torrent of uncertainty.


	18. The Chase

Evening. The front room was quiet. Sig sat silently in the chair by the window, deeply looking at the old picture he had found among the broken debris of Azyma's house. Tess lay on the couch staring up at the ceiling, following the design patterns that spread across the room. Keira was sitting on the stairs with a new communicator in hand, finger at the ready to press the button when the call would come. She was waiting for the news from her father, who was still headlining the search of the forest. Nothing had been heard all day, and now it was getting dark with the onset of night. But still they held onto hope; everyone knew of the city's persistence and refusal to admit defeat, and right now the Guard were still out there, combing every inch of the trees for clues and signs that would lead to the whereabouts of Azyma or the perpetrator of her disappearance.

Keira was hungry, but she ignored the frequent growls of her stomach and the nagging discomforts that always accompanied them, and just stared at the communicator in her hands. Surely now Samos would call her. They must have found news by now.

Tess sat up, disturbed by the gurgling sounds coming from the stairs. "Keira, do you want some food?" she asked.

Slowly and silently, Keira shook her head, without breaking her concentration for a second.

"You've got to eat something," said Tess, "I'm worried about you. You haven't eaten a thing all day."

That wasn't an exaggeration. Keira was so worked up with stress that she was forgetting to take proper care of herself. She gave no answer to this remark, and Tess sighed. She clearly wasn't going to move until that communicator buzzed on. But after it did, then what?

Tess looked over to Sig, hoping he would talk some sense into her, but he too was engrossed with something in his hands.

"What's that?" she asked.

Sig's eye flicked up for a second before returning to the image. Then he gestured for Tess to come nearer. She hopped over onto the arm of Sig's chair and beheld what he had been looking at.

"Oh my god," muttered Tess, "Keira! Come and look at this!"

Keira detected the change of tone in Tess's voice, and for the first time in a long while she looked away from the communicator. Tess and Sig were both intently looking at a small piece of paper. The curiosity was too great, and Keira had to get up and look at what it was that had caused Tess to call out. Her legs had gone numb from sitting still for too long, but she shook off the feeling and joined the other two by the window.

"I found this in the bedroom," Sig explained, "Right by the bed. I think it's her family."

Keira had to look closer. Was that little girl really Azyma? It certainly looked like her, and the two adults behind her could only be her parents. Where were they now? There was silence in the room once again as the three of them just looked at the old picture.

Then Keira jumped as the communicator in her hand vibrated sharply and sounded its call tone. She stepped back to answer it.

"Daddy? Is that you?" she asked.

"Yes Keira," spoke Samos's voice, and Sig and Tess turned to listen. "I'm out in the forest with the Freedom League Guards. We're still looking, but I'm afraid we've found no trace of anyone who might be lurking out here."

Keira's eyes unfocussed. "Nothing?" she asked in a voice that was frail and soft.

"Not a thing," replied Samos. "But I have spoken to the plants who bore witness to last night's events, and they have given me a partial description of what happened. They say that living shadows moved in the dark, and we followed the trail that they described. But then it went cold, and the plants could give no further directions. I have passed on this information to The Guard, and they will keep looking, but I'm heading home now. I'm sorry, Keira."

To Tess and Sig, Keira looked surprisingly calm, but she was actually trying really hard to suppress her emotions.

"Alright, see you later Daddy," said Keira, and switched off the communicator. New sorrow fell upon the house as the news sank in. Azyma still was not found, and the search continued. Where was she?

Keira's thoughts sank again, as did the others'. But Keira's was slowly replaced with a seething rage, and her fist clenched tightly until it turned white. Sig caught sight of this and leaned forwards in the chair. He'd seen this kind of thing before in other Wastelanders when they'd lost a friend in the desert, and knew the best ways of dealing with it.

"Keira?" he said softly.

Tess noticed now as well, and froze on the spot, expecting an outburst of rage. She'd never seen Keira like this before, and it frightened her, for it really looked as if she was right up against her breaking point.

But the complete opposite happened. Keira unclenched her fist and let out a big sigh, and Tess could have sworn that she shrank a little in doing so. Then she appeared to have returned to normal. Sig and Tess both relaxed.

"You OK?" Sig checked.

Keira nodded. "Yeah... I think so."

Sig was actually somewhat impressed by her resilience. Most of the Wastelanders he knew would have freaked out at a moment like this, but Keira had seemingly dispelled her anger all by herself.

Then Tess spoke. "Alright, let's get you some food now. You need to stay strong, Keira."

Keira finally accepted the offer, and followed her through to the kitchen.

Having been fed, Keira did feel a little better, she had to admit. She also felt stronger and better able to cope with the situation. But her concern for Azyma did not recede, and still she was hampered by her uncertain whereabouts. Tess shared the same feelings, and did her best to resist falling into a major breakdown. She kept to a little piece of wisdom, a motto of sorts, that she felt was the most sensible thing to do: 'The only time it is safe to panic is when you know everything is OK.' The meaning behind those words related to the idea that letting yourself succumb to your emotions is by no means beneficial, and that you're best trying to put them aside when dealing with a problem, otherwise they'll just slow you down.

She tried to get this point over to Keira, and seemed to succeed a little. Though Keira didn't fully understand the philosophy behind it all, it gave her something else to think about for a while.

Sig was still thinking about the old picture he found in Azyma's house. Right now, a unit of Freedom Guards would be keeping the place under surveillance and searching it thoroughly for more potential evidence. He didn't think there would be any, but you never know with these things. He still could not let go of the guilt he felt for not being there to protect the girls, and he deeply wished to make it up to them, through whatever means possible.

Later, Samos returned home. He comforted his daughter as much as he could, and kept on reassuring her that something would be found to help them locate Azyma. He felt sorry for Keira, first having lost Jak and now so soon afterwards having another friend taken from her. He held out hope for the both of them, and Daxter of course, wherever they were.

As the night deepened, things steadily grew more tensely relaxed. Samos maintained an open radio link with the city guards in case any more news came in, which everyone hoped it would. The search out in the forest continued into the night, and the streets were alive with the sound of armoured boots on patrol. All citizens had been advised to stay in their homes for their own safety, so the guards were all who were out there.

In the front room, things were quiet. Tess was half dozing on the chair and Sig trudged up and down the room, lost in thought. Keira stayed in the kitchen eating, having regained her appetite and following Tess's insisted instructions that she get her strength and energy back. Samos remained close by, sometimes drifting into his plant room to converse with the plants, and then coming back out again to check his communicator.

Then, the moment happened.

Samos picked up a strange sense, and then suddenly, a panting voice came in through the communicator, a voice they recognised. It spoke frantically and almost in a whisper, and the very sound sent chills down Keira's spine.

"Hello...? Please...! I need help!"

Samos went to pick it up, but Keira's hand had already seized it.

"Azyma!" she shouted, "Is that you?"

The trembling voice answered amid sobs and bursts of static. "I think... I don't know where I am... but there's... there's..."

The voice trailed away into panting, and through the communicator everyone could hear the tortured terror in her voice. She whimpered and gasped with deep exasperated breaths, like she was running out of air, and the sounds turned Keira's heart to ice.

"What?" asked Keira impulsively, "There's what?"

She had to ask a second time before a slurred answer came. "Azyma, are you still there? Is that you?"

The voice spoke something incomprehensible, and then returned to the desperate panting, followed by painful sobbing and weeping that was hard to listen to. Keira shouted into it again, but the communicator fell silent with a click. Out of frustration, she slammed it on the table and shouted into it one more time. Still no answer came.

Into the room Tess had come bounding and Sig had come sprinting, and now they were gathered around the table listening in strained suspense. Keira looked up at them with the deepest uncertainty in her damp eyes.

"That sounded like her," said Tess.

Nobody else spoke; everyone just blankly stared first at each other, then at the communicator in Keira's hand, then back to each other again. Nothing else happened. They waited for the ghostly voice to return again, but it never did.

Keira sat back down onto her chair so slowly that it felt like she was hardly moving. She was sure of it, that voice had definitely been Azyma's, but it was so twisted with fear and tortured gasps that it almost sounded nothing like her. Samos closed his eyes and lowered his head, trying to decipher what this meant.

Then the communicator buzzed into life again, and Keira immediately grabbed onto it and held it tightly between both hands. But this time a different voice flowed out.

"Calling all troops! Calling all troops! This is Commander Vis! We're in pursuit of something through the gardens. Suspect fleeing north towards the old city stadium. All nearby units converge on the location!"

Keira held the device in confusion, but then Samos took it from her before she realised it was even gone.

"Vis? This is Samos. Confirm your last report!"

"Confirmed, Samos! We are in pursuit of a dark figure through the gardens and towards the stadium! Assistance requested!"

"All nearby units, you heard him! Get over there now!" barked Samos.

The girls looked at each other. "That could be... him," said Tess.

Behind her, Sig pounded his fist into the palm of his other hand. "We've got 'im now!" he said menacingly through gritted teeth, "Let's nail this bastard!"

He charged back into the front room, swept up his Peace Maker, and then went careening outside into the darkness. Keira instinctively followed, but Samos shouted after her.

"Keira! You're not going out there! You are staying here where it's safe!"

Keira stopped and turned around to look defiantly at her father. Her expression was enough to make Tess feel a little intimidated, and she looked back and forth between Samos and Keira, father and daughter, unsure of what would happen next. The tension that zapped between them could almost be tasted. Keira's nostrils flared as she exhaled sharply through her nose, and then she stormed fiercely out of the house in Sig's tracks.

"KEIRA!" Samos bellowed, waving his walking stick threateningly around the kitchen, almost inadvertently knocking Tess off the table. Then he tossed it onto the floor where it rattled loudly.

The communicator fizzed and crackled with the voices of Freedom Guards rushing through the streets, and then Samos looked at the petrified Tess who stood frozen to the spot. Something in her expression made Samos relent his earlier actions, and he let all of his anger out with a sigh.

"Go after her and make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble," he said.

Tess nodded and galloped out of the room without another word.

Through the dim streets Keira ran, pursuing the distant silhouette of Sig that kept fading in and out of dark under every street light. Behind her, Tess was trying to catch up, and that wasn't easy given her size. All around them were the clanking armour and the thumping boots of the Freedom Guards, zeroing in on the city's northern sectors in a bid to head off the suspect who had just entered the residential neighbourhood to the west.

Sig ploughed on ahead with great strides that never faltered, completely unaware of whom was following him. Soon, more Freedom Guards began to appear alongside them, joining the chase. Around corners and across bridges they went until they arrived at the entrance to the city's partially restored stadium sector. Sig stood by the great passage and looked around. Several guards were already there, stationed by Vis to bar the route should the suspect choose to escape this way. If his memory of the city layout served him correctly, there would only be one other way into this area, and that was through the gardens. They had him now.

Then a warm hand clutched at his arm. He turned around to see Keira, almost breathless and clinging to him for support. Then Tess came, equally tired, and flopped onto Keira's shoe. All of the guards nearby were puzzled as to why there were two civilians out here when they ought to be safely in their homes. Sig looked at them both, unsure of what to do with them.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Go back to your homes!" ordered one of the guards, "It's for your own protection!"

"He's right, you know," said Sig, "We'll handle this guy."

"Listen!" retorted Keira, "I'm tired of following orders! My friend might be in there and we've got to find her!"

"That may be, miss," said the same guard, "But I cannot let you in. I'd be breaking orders if I did. We'll look for your friend. Now please go home!"

Once again, Keira refused. Clearly talking sense to her wasn't working. Keira had been through so much lately that she no longer held any rational thoughts. She was sick of everything, and just wanted it all to end, even if it meant she had to end it herself. Tess got back to her feet and leapt to Keira's bowed and heaving shoulders. To all the guards present, it gave them a shadow of the image of their still missing heroes. Keira stood resilient but panting, her eyes fixed with grim determination on the gateway. The guards didn't know what to do. When a citizen did not comply with their orders, what was the correct course of action? They couldn't forcefully overpower her unprovoked; she was unarmed, and these were no longer the days of the Krimzon Guard. Such harsh actions were no longer allowed in their order, and it pained them even to think of doing so. They looked at Sig for advice, as he was the only other person there sane enough to ask.

Sig felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders again. He could tell by Keira's relentless state that she would not turn back. He had to think of something quickly, otherwise he's miss his chance to head off the suspect. The unavoidable guilt returned to him again; he couldn't let her run loose without him straight into the teeth of danger, not again. He needed to redeem himself. A heavy compromise fell upon him, but he tried once again to persuade her to leave.

"Keira, listen. I know you're angry, but look at yourself! What can you do against this bad guy? Go back to your father and stay safe."

Tess, remembering Samos's order, spoke the voice of conscience right into Keira's ear. Keira remembered valiantly defending herself against the large and dark figures in the forest, and was haunted by Azyma's terrified screams and the voice on the communicator. Her head whirled with desperate emotions and she shut her eyes tightly. She wanted to help, and refused to just walk away when she was this close to finding the truth. The voices tormented her until she could take no more.

Sig never received a definite acknowledgment, but he could read the expression on her face well enough.

"Fine," he said, and turned to the guards. "I'll take her with me; she's my responsibility now."

He turned to Keira again and made sure she was listening. "Keira, look at me. I promised your father I would protect you. That means you do everything I say from now on. If I say get down, you hit the deck. If I tell you to run, then you run. I'm not having you get into trouble again. You understand me?"

Keira's eyes met his, and his gaze was penetrating. He was deadly serious, and something in the back of Keira's head stirred her consciousness. The chill of understanding flowed through her mind, followed by the newly found admiration she had for Sig. She knew he could help her, and a compelling, unbreakable trust now surged through her. She nodded silently, and asserted herself to follow Sig's every command exactly and without hesitation.

Sig saw the honesty in her deep green eyes, and then straightened up again. "Alright," he said, "Let us through."

The guards parted and Sig walked through. "Stick close to me," he said. Once he was certain that Keira was keeping within three feet of him, he broke into a faster pace, leading the charge into the unlit devastation of the city's old stadium sector.

This portion of the city was still strewn with rubble, and public access had yet to be granted. Sig thought to himself that this was the perfect place for the bad guy to hide. He must have made his hideout well though, as the guards had already been through many times and found nothing. Keira trailed behind him in his footsteps with Tess clinging to her shoulder. Both looked around but could see little in the gloom. The sky was clouded over, which only made things darker. But for Sig and his bionic eye, it was not a hindrance. With his night vision he could see into every shadow and see everything that hid among them.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-18-339116442]**_

They came upon another group of guards waiting around the corner. They all had their radios ready, keeping tabs on the messages coming from Vis describing the situation.

"We're entering the ruins!" said his voice, "Suspect still in sight. Wait... he's gone!"

Everyone looked at each other. How could he have just disappeared? Sig looked ahead but could see no sign of movement in the omnipresent dark. Keira was shivering with silent anger and tense anxiety, and Tess on her shoulder kept a close hold. Both of them looked around in all directions hoping to catch a glimpse of the enigmatic figure they were chasing.

"Damn it!" said Vis through the radio, "Suspect vanished."

"There he is!" said another voice, and Vis gave the orders to continue the chase, all the while feeding valuable information on his position to the others. Sig stood, Peace Maker at the ready, prepared to deliver adequate payback to the perpetrator for all the suffering he'd caused.

"Suspect vanished again!" said Vis, and again everyone tensed up, scanning the rubble and the buildings all around. "That sneaky son of a bitch! Where'd he go?"

Then from around the corner, they heard gunfire, and the group ran towards the action.

"Suspect has reappeared and opened fire!" said Vis, "All units may shoot on sight. Target is armed and dangerous!"

"Let's get him!" shouted Sig as he charged ahead of the small group. "Keira! Stay with the guards!"

Keira, remembering her obedient promise, stayed safely among the guards, many of whom had only just noticed she was there. But their minds were too preoccupied with the current mission to ponder why a civilian had followed them here, and did their best to provide substantial protection as well as keep an eye out for trouble.

Around the corner, Sig could just catch sight of a sinister shadow in a long coat just before it ran into the remains of a nearby building. He hadn't time to aim and fire, as it was gone from sight again. Then Vis and his men came around the next corner, and seeing the shape of something large in the distance, began shooting. Sig had to leap aside in the confusion as heated eco projectiles just nicked his armour.

"Cease fire!" he bellowed, "Friendly target!"

Vis and his men ran forwards, and the two groups now stood face to face. Vis remembered seeing Sig the other night when he came to visit the Freedom HQ building, and had to apologise for opening fire on him, as they mistook him for the target.

"He went in that building!" said Sig, pointing in the appropriate direction. Some guards immediately broke away to investigate the door, guns at the ready. Sig checked that Keira and Tess were still in safe hands, which they were, but Keira looked pale as ice, before scanning the surrounding buildings again.

"Split up!" ordered Vis, "Don't let him get away!"

Men broke off towards the line of dilapidated houses, while some stayed on look out and to protect the girls. Vis got back on the radio, relaying updates all through the city to the other guards.

Then someone shouted, "Up high!"

Everybody looked up to see a black shape leaping through the air above them, from rooftop to rooftop. Weapons flashed but they hit nothing.

"He's heading back!" shouted Vis, "He's on the rooftops! Follow him!"

"We'll never catch him on the roofs," said a guard, but stuck to his orders and ran back through the streets the way they'd come, while the rest of his squad followed. They kept their eyes upwards, looking for any more movements coming from above. But they soon lost track of him again.

"Get some Hellcats with searchlights over here!" ordered Vis. Back at HQ, a team was immediately mobilised, and they were on the scene within half a minute, providing thick beams of light to aid in the search. But despite this, their suspect had vanished again. The squad continued to scour the streets, refusing to give up the hunt. But there was nothing left to see. The scent had gone cold.

Then Tess's ears pricked up, and they instinctively turned to the north. She looked but could only see darkness, but could sense that something was over there through the gap in the buildings.

"Sig!" she said without moving her gaze, and Sig followed her eye line through the gap. Only he could see, but away in the distance stood the black mass of the city's north wall, and scrambling up it like an insect was a long and gangly figure, the same one he had seen back around the corner.

"That's him," said Sig with a satisfied relish, and he saw the figure turn its head to look back at them. Sig's bionic vision magnified and he could make out every detail of the man's face. Then without saying another word, he brought his Peace Maker up to bear and began charging up a shot.

The guards around him didn't know what he was aiming at, for they could not see in the dark, but they all froze to the spot and stared at the weapon as its barrel glowed brighter and brighter, even Vis. The Peace Maker now shone with a ball of vibrant blue energy on its muzzle, and Sig kept his sights fixed on the distant climbing figure as it slowly reached the top of the wall. There it stood for less than a second on the top before Sig released the charged projectile, which twisted through the gap in the buildings towards its target. The figure turned around but it was too late to move, and was struck with a mighty fizzling crack that echoed through all the city streets. He was lit up as the electric energy coursed through his body, and was then propelled away by the force of impact over the walls and into oblivion.

Sig lowered his weapon and stared triumphantly into the distance, and Tess felt a great weight lift off her chest. Keira stood still as a statue, and then let out a deep breath. Sig flipped his gun over and rested the butt on the floor, switched the safety on then drew out a small knife, and with it he carved a notch into the Metal Head skull at the front of the barrel.

"I think that's the last we'll see of him," he said looking at Keira, and then gave a single dry chuckle, "Not that we saw much of him anyway."

The Hellcats with their searchlights hovered over to the area where the figure fell to search for remains on the other side of the wall. All they saw were bubbles and ripples in the murky ocean, which then disappeared, leaving the water calm and flat.

Vis finally moved and spoke into the radio. "Command... mission accomplished."

From the radio, Samos spoke. "Good work. The city owes you much. Now send my daughter back home. I need to speak to her."


	19. Visions in Rain

Freedom Guards stood at Keira's shoulders, escorting her back through the night streets to her home, where Samos awaited her. She was wondering what he would say, although she had a pretty good idea of what. He'd probably scold her for running off like she had done in such circumstances, into the danger of the darkness without any thought for her own safety. Such an action would worry him, of course, but Keira thought that now she was practically an adult, he need not be so overprotective anymore.

Then again, he was probably only doing what he thought was best for her in this situation. He knew what had happened to her in the forest only one night ago; the city wasn't safe as long as the mysterious figure ran loose. But now it was over. Whoever he was, he had been taken care of, courtesy of Sig and his marksmanship. However, she could not rest knowing that Azyma was still out there somewhere, alone and frightened.

The voice she had heard on the communicator still haunted her. Whenever she thought of that dark memory, she would shiver and feel the chill of dread. It was something she could not get her mind off. But hopefully, she thought, now that the man behind all of this had been eliminated, they would have a chance of finding Azyma, and she could stop worrying.

Looking up, she could see the dark clouds now looming over the city, even in the night and against the city's bright lights. She had seen them earlier, and now they were right overhead, bringing with them the ominous omen of a storm. It would strike soon, and already Keira felt the faint drops of rain on her face.

All the while on her shoulder, Tess was silent, but knew what Keira was thinking. She was thinking the same thing, but at the same time was still searching for an explanation for all of this. There were many questions still unanswered. Who exactly had it been who Sig had shot? What had he done with Azyma? And why? Why had all of this happened in the first place? She longed for the truth, even though she understood she may never find it now with the prime suspect gone, but there was still a slim chance. She had been trying to piece the whole thing together ever since the night Azyma had first been attacked in the streets.

As they approached home, Keira had decided what needed to be done. She would apologise to her father for what she had done, for now she could see how her emotions had taken the better of her. Her father had always told her that emotions make people think irrationally, and she understood the sense in those words now more than ever. Then she would rest, and try to get some sleep if she could; let the Freedom Guards do their work, and see what news would turn up in the morning.

Standing before the door, the guards left her and disappeared into the city's gloom. She took a deep breath and then stepped inside. Samos stood by the table exactly where she had last seen him, communicator in hand and relaying the final orders to the troops. He noticed immediately when she entered, and rounded off his speech before switching the communicator off and placing it down.

Tess dropped from Keira's shoulder and wisely left the room to go upstairs, leaving both father and daughter alone together.

"Keira..." began Samos, but he was interrupted by his daughter as she burst into her hastily planned apology.

"Daddy, I'm sorry I disobeyed you. I just couldn't... I just wanted to..."

Samos raised a hand and Keira fell silent.

"It's alright, Keira," he said gently, "I know how you felt. Sometimes our emotions do get the better of us, whether we like it or not."

This came as an unexpected surprise to Keira. The anger she remembered in her father had completely disappeared.

"I forgive you, Keira," he continued, "I heard the news from the streets, and it looks like from now on things may slowly return to normal. But now I must tell you something that I think you ought to know. It's about Azyma."

Keira's heart leapt in her chest so violently that she shuddered. What news did he have?

Samos began to pace up and down the room. "As you are aware, in my younger years I was in charge of the Underground movement against the Baron's rule. Shortly after I founded the movement, Torn joined the cause, and I gave him the responsibility of managing new members. We needed committed fighters, and were always on the lookout for the Baron's spies. Due to his past experience as an agent of the Baron, Torn was just the man for the job, and he did well to make sure only the right people got in.

"Azyma was one of those people. I remember the day she arrived outside the hideout, like it was yesterday. We interviewed her, making sure she wasn't one of the Baron's agents, and she revealed to us why she desired to join the Underground. Her family had been apprehended by the Baron's guards and taken to the Fortress; in those days, once you went into the Fortress, you never came out again. And that is why she chose to fight alongside us, in retaliation for her family's arrest. She was yet another unfortunate victim of the Baron's tyranny, and she hoped that one day she would be able to find her family and be with them again."

Keira looked over at the picture Sig had recovered from Azyma's house and had left on a table nearby.

"Once the Baron was overthrown," continued Samos, "I searched through the Fortress records for any evidence of what had become of her family."

"And...?" asked Keira, feeling the weight of emotion on her again.

"Nothing," he spoke, "The Baron did not keep very detailed files on his prisoners; all he needed was an excuse to arrest them. What happened to them, we may never know for sure. Azyma has been trying to cope by herself ever since."

Keira was sad to hear such a story. She never knew that Azyma's past life had been so dramatic, and all this time, she had never spoken of it so much as once. What's more, Samos and Tess had both known about this the whole time.

"I never wanted to tell you this," said Samos, "But that's all I can say. Go and speak with Tess now. She may be willing to speak more than I."

Keira understood and left the room without another word, ascending the stairs and entering her bedroom where Tess waited, lying on her small bed on the floor. She looked up as Keira entered with a longing look in her eyes.

"You alright?" she asked, "What did Samos say?"

Keira shook her head and flopped down onto her own mattress which lay before her. She hadn't the heart to say anything, but Tess figured it out. It looked like Samos had finally revealed the information to her.

"I understand," she said, and curled up into a more comfortable position. Keira mumbled something into her pillow, and Tess could only just make it out: "Why didn't you tell me?"

Tess shook off the guilt and gave her explanation. "It was Azyma's own decision. She made us all promise to never talk about it again. She just wanted to get on with her own life, and put her sorrows behind her... start again. She never wanted you to know. I'm sorry, Keira."

Keira just sighed into her pillow and lay still with her eyes closed, and Tess took this as a sign of acceptance. "Let's just get some sleep."

Outside, the rains started pouring. Sig stood among the guards in the city's old ruins, still aiding them in the search of the streets, checking for any more clues before it was declared safe for civilian use again. Together with the soldiers, he retraced the path their enigmatic foe had taken, trying to piece together the events that had led to his destruction. There were still many unanswered questions, and it was their job to ascertain exactly what might have happened.

What Sig really wanted to know was where Azyma may be right now. Just like Keira, the frail voice that had seeped through the communicator had sent chills to even his resolute heart, and he was determined to help in any way he could. No matter what had happened to her, he would do everything in his power to save her.

Through the gardens they trudged, Vis leading the way to where the suspect had first been spotted, repeating the commentary he had given during the chase. Vis explained how they had first sighted the figure near the entrance to the forest, but how he'd got there without being spotted beforehand was beyond them, as there had been guards constantly going in and out of that door all day. Whoever this guy was, he sure knew how to hide and get around without being seen. Maybe that could offer a clue to his identity?

Sig could provide a detailed description of his face from what he had seen before he'd shot him down from the wall, which would certainly come in handy later, once this search was finished. One thing that everyone was aware of was the possibility of there being more dark figures out there. The girls had reported several on the night they were attacked in the forest, and they needed to find out where they were now. Maybe they had Azyma? Sig looked up into the midst of the storm clouds; this weather wouldn't make things any easier.

Night's course wore on, and the storm only increased its ferocity. Soon the sky over the city was alive with lightning, and the streets ran with rivers of rain. In the Freedom Building, the highest ranking officials still on duty were monitoring the computers. They were running the risk of losing power in a storm of this magnitude, but they hoped the lightning conductor atop the building's spire would protect them. Nobody spoke to each other, just silently working.

Back home, Keira was awoken by the intense weather happening outside. Without thinking, she got out of bed and left the room. She didn't know the time, nor even if she was dreaming or awake; she just staggered out of the room in a state of sleep-induced lassitude. The house was dark and ominous, and to Keira, it reminded her of Azyma's broken home in the slums. Eyes half-open, she stepped uneasily down the stairs and into the front room, where she stood in the centre among the furniture. A strange feeling came over her, and she did not know what it was. Something in her mind was trying to make itself known to her, and she stood still as a statue in the middle of the room as it gradually emerged.

A flash of lightning lit up the room, revealing the location of Azyma's picture. The after-image hovered right before her in plain sight, shifting shape and colours into something new. As it began to fade, the idea forming in her head manifested itself completely and she could now see it clearly in her mind's eye.

"What if...?" she whispered to herself, barely above a level that even she could hear. Then she looked over her shoulder at the front door. In a hallucination, it swung open quickly and there stood the outline of Azyma, dripping wet from the rain and staring blankly ahead. It lingered for a moment, as if rooted to the spot. Then it was gone.

_**[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart.""com/"art/Chapter-19-340146236]**_

Things were getting hazier, and Keira felt the familiar onset of sleep trying to pull her down again. It was so inviting she could not resist it, but she clung on to the thought she had just materialised long enough for it to be committed to memory, and then let herself go. As if in slow motion, her knees bent and she slumped forwards on the spot, coming to a soft landing on the rug. There she lay in the clutches of deep sleep until morning.


	20. Answers in Dust

Keira awoke to find herself being propped up against something. Her vision slowly returned to her, and then she heard a voice calling her name, a very familiar voice. It was Sig, and he'd walked into the house just a moment ago to find Keira lying on the carpet. He'd immediately picked her up and tried to ascertain if she was OK; with Azyma's disappearance still strong in mind, he knew to expect anything.

But Keira was perfectly fine, if only a little bit confused, as her memory of the experience she'd had last night had not yet returned to her. She opened her eyes to find herself looking up into Sig's, and she felt strangely comfortable just to be relaxing in his warm and encompassing arms.

"Keira, what are you doing down here by yourself?" he asked, "Are you alright?"

Keira smiled softly, still feeling the heavy effects of sleep. "Yeah, I'm fine," she whispered, "I just... fell asleep down here. That's all."

"Are you sure?" pressed Sig, "Remember, your father made me responsible for your safety." Once again, he was pained by his failure to protect Azyma, and wished for everything in his power to keep Keira safe.

"I'm fine," Keira said again, louder this time as her sense returned. She sat up, and Sig loosened his hold on her as she did so until she was sitting up unaided. Then she got to her feet and stood beside Sig; she had something to tell him.

"I had an idea last night," she explained, "What if Azyma's parents are living in Spargus?"

Sig looked intrigued. "What do you mean?" he asked, "Why would they be there?"

"Listen," she continued, "Daddy told me last night that Azyma first joined the Underground to look for her parents, who were arrested by the Baron. What if they were banished to the Wasteland and somehow made it in to Spargus?"

Sig thought for a moment. "It's a possibility," he said, "I thought I recognised the guy in that picture from somewhere." He looked over to where Azyma's picture was. He knew how harsh the Baron had been, and there had certainly been no paucity of people banished from the city during his rule. Especially during the Metal Head Wars, being thrown out of the city was near enough a death sentence. Spargus was a refuge unknown to the city, but not all exiles found their way there.

"I could try and find out for you for sure," said Sig.

"Let me come with you," said Keira, "If they are out there, I want to meet them."

"Alright," said Sig, "But you'd better let your father know first. I need to talk to him anyway, concerning the search last night."

Keira suddenly remembered. "Did you find anything?"

"I'm afraid not," said Sig. "We found no clues at all. Azyma is still missing. I'm sorry, Keira."

The case still stood unsolved. Keira's hope vanished again, but she was resolute to make sure nobody would give up the search. For all she believed, Azyma was still out there somewhere, and she had to be found. She will be found.

A little later, when both Tess and Samos were around, the news was explained. They both understood the situation, and like Sig, thought it plausible that Azyma's parents may be in Spargus. It would explain why no trace of them was ever found; that, and the fact that the Baron had a tendency to destroy his ex-prisoners' records, making sure they were not remembered after they were gone. It was definitely worth a shot.

Samos agreed to the investigation, and allowed his daughter to join Sig for the journey. Tess would go too, as she had been closer to Azyma than anyone, while Samos himself would stay in the city and headline the search effort.

The plan was set then. At mid-morning, Sig, Keira and Tess left the house and made their way to the Freedom HQ Building, where their arranged transport was waiting. The rains had passed, but the streets were still soaked and the pools that decorated the New Haven area were almost overflowing. Keira used her access pass to get through the guard barriers, and then together they made their way inside the main building. Their Air Train was waiting in the hangar, and as they stepped inside, Keira was greeted by all of her mechanic friends.

"Keira!" they cried with joy, happy to see her again, "How've you been?"

"Well..." said Keira, and then tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Better than I was yesterday, at least."

"We missed you," they said, "Have you come back to work today?"

"Not yet," she said, "I've still got a few more things to do first. I'm sure you're all aware of all the trouble that's been going on lately. We're trying to get to the bottom of it."

The guards took note of Sig behind her, and recognised him.

"I see," they said, "Well, we hope to have you back soon. Anyway, good luck."

Keira was touched by the warmth of companionship. The mechanics were so kind. "Thanks guys," she said, "See you later." It was good to know she had the support of so many enthusiastic friends.

The three of them then moved through into the next room where the Air Train was sitting waiting, engine humming and hovering delicately. Vis was there too, leaning against the wall, and he looked up when they entered.

"You alright?" he said, "I'll be taking you out to Spargus. You guys ready to go?"

"Yes," answered Keira.

"Then climb aboard," said Vis, and together, they climbed into the back compartment which hissed closed, and then they felt the unmistakable feeling of flight as the vehicle took off and left the air of Haven far behind.

Keira sat quietly in her seat, thinking about the Wasteland. She hadn't been out to Spargus since Jak last saved the world, and wondered whether it would have changed at all. Chances are that it wouldn't have, but her biggest concern was finding out if Azyma's parents were actually out there or not. She tried to run the scenario through her mind. What would she say to them if they did find them?

Sig noticed the concentration on her face, and placed an arm around her shoulders, prompting her to look up.

"Don't worry," he said, "Everything's gonna be fine."

A while later, they felt the vehicle touch down and stop moving; they had arrived. The rear door yawned open again, letting in a bright sunlight.

"We're here," announced Sig, "Let's go."

They got up and stepped outside, and instantly felt the desert's heat. It was nothing like Keira had ever felt before; she was working up a sweat by just breathing. Meanwhile, Vis rolled down the window of the vehicle. "How long will you need?" he asked.

"Give us two hours," said Sig, which he thought should be plenty of time to check the population, if they worked quickly.

"Alright," said Vis, "I've got other things to do, but I'll be back then. Good luck, guys!" Then he took off, and sand went billowing in all directions. The three figures on the ground had to cover their faces, and then were left alone by the city's outer wall.

"Come on, let's get inside the city!" urged Sig, "You won't last long out here, and the Marauders will probably show up soon. Quickly!"

He marched off towards the gate and the girls followed, Tess hitching a ride on Keira's shoulder again. She too had been thinking about what their search might yield, and was anxious to meet Azyma's parents, if they were out here. Both she and Keira really hoped they were though.

Once the mighty front gates clanked open, they stepped inside the garage, and the girls were relieved to finally stand in some shade. Only a few minutes in the desert sun had made them feel ready to collapse from heat exhaustion, and Sig could see it. He knew what to look out for out here.

"Here, take this," he said, and passed them a gourd of water from his belt.

"Thanks," they said, and they really were grateful to rehydrate themselves. Continuing on, Keira eyed up the desert vehicles lining the garage, admiring the mechanical work put into them. Some of them looked pretty beat-up, but they were designed for rough riding and resilience, and could stand up to some pretty severe punishment.

Sig opened the next door which led into the city streets, and smelled the scent of the air. Keira and Tess smelled it too, and there was a distinct petrichor which made them feel somewhat calmer about the whole prospect of searching the city's inhabitants. The streets were lonely, and only a few Wastelanders were out at this hour.

"Alright," said Tess finally, "Where do we start?"

Keira reached into her pocket and retrieved the picture they had found in Azyma's house.

"We should ask around and see if anyone knows the people in the picture," said Sig, "It's the easiest way."

It was settled then. That is what they would do. "Just let me do the talking," advised Sig, "These guys don't like Haven folk." The girls could see what he meant. The few Wastelanders who had already caught a glimpse of them gave them some very sinister looks, and Keira felt a little threatened since everyone here didn't go anywhere without their own weapons in hand. But she tried to reassure herself that they wouldn't dare do anything to them as long as they were with Sig, the ruler of this lawless town.

Boldly, they set off along the dusty roads and approached the nearest Wastelander who was going about his own business.

"Hey!" Sig called, and the man immediately paid attention.

"Your lordship!" he cried, ignoring the girls, "What can I do for you?"

"We're looking for some people," Sig explained, showing him the picture, "Have you seen either of these guys before?"

The Wastelander quickly looked the picture over, but shook his head. "Sorry, your lordship. They don't look familiar."

"Alright, thanks," said Sig, and left the man to his own devices again. "Come on," he said to the girls, "Let's keep looking."

The day continued in much the same manner. Everyone they came to could not identify anyone in the picture. With every answer, hope began to dwindle. Keira soon began to feel that her assumption was not true; Azyma's parents would remain lost forever in the fog of forgotten time.

But then, someone gave the answer they were looking for.

"Have you seen any of these people here before?" asked Sig.

The man standing in front of him observed the picture, and nodded. "Yeah," he said, "That guy lives over there." He pointed to a building over by the seaside coast. This triggered an instant reaction for Keira and Tess, who after so many negative answers had sunk lower into a trance of discouragement, and they suddenly paid full attention.

Sig looked to where the Wastelander had indicated. "Are you sure?" he asked, "That one there?"

"That's right," said the man, "He's kind of reclusive, but I've seen him a few times."

"Thanks," said Sig, and they left the helpful stranger to his business. He happened to catch Keira's eye as he passed them, but in his glare she saw no element of satisfaction for helping them out. He didn't realise just how much his knowledge had meant to them, she thought; it was overpowered by the city-wide bitterness towards Haven and her citizens. Keira couldn't help but watch him as he walked by, but Tess snapped her out of it with a tug on her ear.

"Stop staring!" she whispered.

She quickly averted her gaze and hurried close behind Sig. Over his shoulder, the man gave them another suspicious glance when they weren't looking.

Approaching the house, Keira's heartbeat began to race. Tess was also nervous. Would they really meet Azyma's parents behind that door? They came to a halt on the front step, and Sig looked down at the girls behind him. He could see the emotion in their eyes.

"You ready?" he asked. They silently nodded, and Sig drummed on the door with his great hand. All stood still for a few seconds as they awaited an answer. Keira's heart was pounding so strongly that she felt her whole body throb with every pulse. Tess placed an arm atop her head in an act of anxious anticipation, and they stared at the unmoving doorway. All that could be heard was the wash of the ocean behind them and the call of some distant desert vulture. Then the door unlocked. This was it.

It opened slowly, and a figure emerged into the daylight. It was a man of mid-height, pale clothes and a face scarred with regret. He looked older than he actually was, but they recognised him immediately. There was no doubt that he was the man in the picture. Keira and Tess were in a state of stunned silence; they had no idea what they would say to him.

The man, recognising King Sig, hastily bowed and then spoke, "My king! What brings you to my doorstep?"

"I have some visitors for you," he said, indicating Keira and Tess, "And some important news."

The inhabitant of the house looked at the girls, a little puzzled. He didn't recognise them at all; come to think of it, he'd never seen them before in his life. What could they want?

"Who are you?" he asked them, "And what is this news you speak of?"

"We're..." began Tess, but then she fell silent. She didn't even know where to start in a situation like this.

"Hey, just a minute..." he said, noticing that Tess was an ottsel, "You two look just like that Jak and Daxter pair..."

"May we come inside?" asked Sig.

"Well, I'm honoured to act as host to the king," he said, "Of course, your lordship."

He let them in, and they were led into a room that looked over the sea. It was a pretty view, and Keira felt entranced by it. Sig noticed it too, and remembered when Azyma had asked about Spargus' beaches back in the forest. She would have loved to stay here.

The man was busy brushing the dust off his spare chairs. "You've caught me by surprise, sire," he said, "If I knew you were coming, I would have prepared the place."

"It's fine," said Sig, taking the seat that was offered. Keira and Tess still looked out of the window at the distant horizon and the lapping waves on the sand.

"Best view in the whole city!" said the man, "Apart from the palace of course, but I've never been up there..." he added hastily. Keira then took one of the remaining chairs, and Tess jumped down onto her lap.

"Can I bring any refreshments for you or your company, sire?"

"No, it's fine," answered Sig. Keira and Tess both shook their heads. "Sit down, and we'll tell you the news."

The man took his seat. Keira could see by the state of the chair that it was one that he sat in quite often.

"What's the news then?" he asked, a little unsure of what to expect.

Sig leaned forwards. "Am I correct in thinking that you once lived in Haven City?" he asked. He had no doubt that this was the man they were after, but he wanted to make sure, just in case.

The man was immediately solemn. "Yes," he answered, "My family and I lived there, so long ago now it feels..."

He looked up, and Sig continued. "Would you care to tell us how you came to be living out here?"

The man's face contorted into some kind of scowl. It was clearly an area he was uncomfortable thinking about, but he spoke on. "Of course. If the king desires it, then I shall have to oblige. My family and I, like so many others, lived under the harsh tyranny of Baron Praxis." His face twitched at the mention of that name. "We would always try to keep out of the eyes of his Krimzon troops, as every wise citizen did. But one day, they found us, and arrested us for subversive behaviour."

"And were you really guilty of this crime?" Sig asked.

"Of course not! The Baron needed prisoners to assert his power over the city, so I understood, and we were among them. My wife and I spent eight long months in that prison. They starved us and beat us, made us admit to crimes we never committed. It was hell in there." He shuddered at the unpleasant memories, but continued to speak. "The time finally came when we were led out of that hell-hole in chains, only to find ourselves thrown into another one: the desert. We'd heard about all the Metal Heads that were outside the city, and we feared for our lives. But then the Wastelanders found us, and brought us here. They gave us a second chance, an opportunity to survive and live on, free from the clutches of the Baron. But we had to fight our way to citizenship in the arena. It wasn't easy..."

He closed his eyes, and Keira spoke to him for the first time, pulled in by his story. "What happened?"

"We did our best to defend ourselves. I was able to fight my way out of there and escape the trials alive, but my wife... she didn't make it..."

"I'm sorry," said Keira.

"She was thrown back out into the desert, wounded and dying, left at the mercy of the sand and the wind and the sun. I pleaded with King Damas to reconsider, but he refused. He said there was no place for the weak here in Spargus. I never saw her again..."

All in the room couldn't help but be moved by his sad story. The melancholy in his voice seemed to fill the room, and only the sound of the waves outside could be heard.

Sig pressed on, and finally revealed the picture. "Is this her?"

He looked up, and his face went white. The powerful surge of memories shot right through him, and he reached out for the picture. "Yes..." he breathed, "That's her..." He took the picture and looked at it long and deep. Tears started forming in his stinging eyes. "And my daughter..."

Keira and Tess watched him, and waited with still breath. This was their man alright.

"Azyma," murmured Sig, and the man looked up.

"You know her name?"

"Yes, and she's the subject of the news we bring."

The man got off his chair onto his knees, and clutched at Sig's armour. "Tell me... is she alright?"

Sig swallowed. "I'm afraid... two nights ago she went missing."

"Missing?" said the man, and his arms trembled.

"Please!" Tess spoke up, and all eyes turned to her. She climbed down from Keira's lap onto the floor, and approached the kneeling father of Azyma.

"After you were taken by the Baron, Azyma came to the Underground to help fight against his oppression. I met her there, and we've been best friends ever since. She wanted to fight the Baron so she could find you. When the Baron fell, we couldn't find any trace of what had happened, so she decided to put her loss behind her and carry on with life. But... she went missing two nights ago, and we haven't found her..."

"But why? Where would she go?" said her father.

"We think she was taken by someone," explained Sig, "We don't know who it was, but I'd say we've eliminated him now."

"Taken...?"

"We're still looking for her, and we'll let you know anything as soon as we find it."

Azyma's father felt his emotions overcoming him, and he slowly shrunk into a slumped posture at Sig's feet. Tess came close to offer him comfort. "You should be proud of her," she tried to reassure him; "She grew into a beautiful and independent woman."

"Well..." said her father, "She always was beautiful..." He looked longingly at the picture in his hands.

"Keep it," said Tess, "You deserve it more than us."

"I never thought I'd see this picture again," he said, "Azyma must have kept it all this time... She never forgot us... She remained strong..."

For a while longer, they sat with Azyma's father as he lamented his lost family, providing what support they could. There wasn't much they could do when they didn't have definite answers. He had always hoped that his daughter had escaped the terrible punishment he had suffered; that was something he never wanted her to endure. He had always held out the minimal hope in the back of his mind that she would be alright and survive the oppression of the Baron and his Krimzon Guards, for during his arrest she had been separated from them, and he'd never learned what had happened to her. Now it seemed that she had indeed got away, and made her own life by herself. He was proud of what she had done, fighting for justice and doing what was right.

As time passed, he slowly began to return to his senses again, his Wastelander training telling him to toughen up and accept this tragedy. He turned to face everyone, paying close attention to the girls in particular.

"Thank you for coming..." he uttered, his voice still faltering from emotions, "Thank you for bringing me this news of my daughter. I'm glad to know that she stayed loyal and strong..." With his finger, he stroked the image of Azyma in the old picture. "I just hope she's OK... wherever she may be..."

When all was said and done, Sig, Keira and Tess had to make their preparations to leave. They promised to keep him updated if they found any sign of Azyma, and he expressed his eternal gratitude to them for their heroism.

"Thank you all once again," he said at the door, "Be safe, and journey well!"

They left his house, and Keira felt curiously satisfied having now met Azyma's father. It made her feel closer to her, even though she was lost. Though it had only been two weeks, the bond she felt for Azyma had become strong and taut. For Tess, it had also been a big moment; Azyma had told her in private about her parents and her true reasons for joining the Underground, and they had been a driving force in her fight against the Baron. If they did eventually find her, at least she'd be able to tell her now that she was no longer alone in her family. Sig knew that he would have to keep an eye on him in the future, for he was definitely involved in the case now. He knew that in the future, they would have to visit him again, hopefully with further news on the situation.

Back through the uneasy streets of Spargus they went, back out into the hostile desert and the blazing sun. Vis was waiting in his vehicle, and when he saw them coming, he opened his window. "Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked.

"Yes," said Keira, feeling a strange sense of triumph, "I think we can call this expedition a success." She managed to crack a soft smile, which Vis found curiously cute.

"Well done, Keira," he said, "Your father would like to hear of the news you've collected. Are you ready to head back home now?"

"Let's go," said Keira, and the back hatch of the vehicle hissed open again, "Let's get out of this desert. The heat's killing me."

Tess jumped in ahead of her into the coolness of the vehicle's shade, and Keira half-climbed in too, but stopped when she noticed that Sig wasn't following.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked, and Tess poked her head outside again.

"Not this time, cherries," he said, "I've got to stay behind for a while and sort out a few things back here, what with all this new information we've just uncovered. You go ahead and tell your father the news. He knows everything else from last night already."

Keira, suddenly feeling the powerful admiration she held for him, jumped down from the back of the vehicle and flung herself around Sig in a warm hug. Sig couldn't help but return the gesture, and enclosed his arms around Keira's shoulders. From the driver's cockpit, Vis turned and saw the emotional scene unfolding behind him, and was touched by the display. Tess looked on too, with much of the same feelings. Keira felt totally safe in Sig's arms, and her face rested against his scratched yet surprisingly comfortable armoured chest plate.

"Thank you for all your help," she half-whispered.

"Hey now," said Sig, "I promised Jak I'd help protect the city, and that's what I'm doing. You just sit tight and stay beautiful, OK?"

These words meant everything to Keira, and she was reluctant to relinquish her grip around Sig's back. She had to though, as the heat of the sun was getting to her again. She didn't know how Sig could stand it in all that armour. Finally, they both separated and Keira climbed into the back of the vehicle again, looking back at Sig one more time with a loving smile. Sig gave a farewell gesture just before the doors closed, and the vehicle hovered up into the sky and disappeared in a cloud of sand and dust.

**_[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart."com/"art/Chapter-20-341775668]_**


	21. A Word with the Plants

Keira stood alone in the forest. It had been a few days now since her return from Spargus, and since then, life had gradually begun to return to normal. The citizenry of Haven had the streets to themselves again, Keira was working back at the Freedom hangar, and there had been no more malicious attacks from shady strangers. But there was something that still remained missing, or more correctly, someone. Azyma still had not been located, and as the days continued to pass with no new sightings, hope of her survival began to dwindle. It was a certainty that she had been taken by those shadowy figures in the forest that night, but where they had gone was a mystery. It still made her shudder to remember that dark night, and her mind would often slip into bouts of wild and fearful speculation, and she just could not cope with what she thought might have happened to her friend Azyma.

Tess had been doing a lot of thinking about it lately, trying to come to some sort of understanding about what had taken place and why. When Azyma had recounted her story of the burning of the Naughty Ottsel, she had done so with a tone that was clearly plagued by painful memories. Which memories they had been she never explained, and if she did remember anything, she never made it known to the others before it was too late. The man she mentioned seeing in the back rooms had to have played a major part in her past, Tess assumed, and she felt sure that it was the same person who had assaulted her outside her own home. Whoever that had been, he was the key. But now, he was gone, and the answers may have been lost forever with him.

Finding Azyma's father in Spargus had been a stroke of fortune in their favour, for it had shed light on Azyma's troubled past. With his information, it had added another piece to the puzzle, but many more were still missing. Tess had come to the conclusion that the man who started the fire at the Naughty Ottsel had known about Azyma since before her days in the Underground, as she remembered nothing from their life together there that could have started all of this. If this was the case, it would explain why nothing had happened to her during that period. The Underground was hidden well, and operatives wouldn't go out on the streets for very long stretches of time lest they be suspected, least of all Torn, who bore the old Krimzon tattoos and would easily have been recognised by the guards whom he once worked with. As well as the Shadow, he had been at the top of the Baron's most wanted list.

Azyma's father had said that the last he saw of his daughter was when he was arrested. She was in the clutches of the guards when he and his wife were thrown into the prison cruiser, and would likely have followed them, but it seemed that she had somehow escaped from them and found her way into the Underground, where she had kept a low public profile while trying to find her parents. It may be that the shadowy figure who had been pursuing her had once been an operative of the Baron, which would give a possible motive for his actions. But why focus solely on Azyma? There were plenty of other ex-Underground members now living free lives, such as Tess herself. This guy must have had something personal against Azyma for him to act in such a way.

That was the best Tess had been able to come up with, but it was entirely plausible. The Freedom League had been unable to come up with any better ideas, even with all of their manpower and the aid of Sig who came over every so often, so it was the theory that was accepted right now.

In the forest, the afternoon sunlight shone through the trees onto the clearing by the lake where the attack had taken place. This was the first time Keira had revisited the scene since then. Standing there alone filled her with unpleasant shivers, and even after the rainstorm that had passed over the city, she could still see the stain of her own blood in the grass. This was the last place where she, Tess and Azyma had all been together. Despite the stiff feelings of bitterness and fear, she could not bring herself to leave this area just yet. She tried to focus on the good memories from immediately before the attack, like frolicking in the water and relaxing by the lakeside. That made her feel slightly better, but always her thoughts became interrupted by the memories of the violence of the fight and Azyma's last cries of defiance.

It was something that she would never forget.

Finally turning away, Keira walked back through the trees and towards the sound of the waterfall ahead by the rocks. As she walked, the troubled memories seemed to grow less, and soon her mind was clear again, hearing only the natural ambient sounds of the quiet forest. It relaxed her, and soon she felt safe again, thinking more positively about the future ahead for her.

A reconstruction effort on the Naughty Ottsel was already underway, and soon Tess would be able to continue serving drinks to the public. The new building would be bigger and better than ever, and Keira was already in the process of helping to plan the grand unveiling when it finally was finished. It would be a nice surprise for Jak and Daxter when they would be brought back to the city. Yes, she still held out hope for them too. With the war at last at a unanimous conclusion, she felt much more confident that they would be found and would come home.

Standing by the waterfall, she looked on into the dark pool. The last time she had looked into it, she had seen a reflection of herself that was nothing like she could ever imagine in her wildest nightmares. But now, she was much happier to see one that actually resembled her face; she would never forget what she had seen that night though.

Looking onwards, she noticed where the forest was leading now for the first time. Beyond the waterfall area, it continued into the distance, past the city wall and further into green paradise. She felt drawn to investigate it, even though she really had no reason to, and decided to walk on through the trees and bushes and into the lush unknown.

As she went, she kept a careful eye open and paid attention to her path, so she could find her way back easily; though the forest was beautiful, it was easy to get lost. Soon the sounds of the waterfall faded away, and now all she could hear was the wind in the canopies and the song of hidden birds. A butterfly flicked past her face, just brushing her cheek, and she watched it flutter onwards into the den of flowers lying ahead.

The bushes dissipated and the grass became clearer, now dotted with small and colourful plant life that played host to all manner of insects and tiny woodland animals. They seemed completely oblivious to her presence, and when they did notice her, acted as if she wasn't even there. Keira felt like she was back in the old world again, surrounded by nature and feeling far from the interminable industrial hum of Haven City.

Then up ahead, past the flowers and the rocks, she saw a wooden structure emerging from the greenery. Coming closer, she saw that it was some sort of bridge built across a gap between two high stones, and it was raised far above her head, almost reaching mid-height with the trees. It looked very old, and here and there moss was claiming it, like in the joints of the great wooden planks that formed the structure. She stopped and observed it, then followed where it led with her eyes around to a precipice atop a grassy slope. The slope looked climbable, so she came to its foot and started her ascent, curious as to what was at the top.

It was a steep climb, and she had to use her hands to pull herself up at times, but when she reached the top the view was rewarding. She could see all the way back where she had come, tracing her path through the flowers and the bushes nearly all the way back to the lake and the waterfall. The bridge itself she could see now was old and dilapidated, and she dared not set a foot on it. But then behind her, she saw another one in much better condition and leading upwards to another wooden structure. This one looked like a high platform built atop a rounded construct that appeared to be built into the earth. Keira knew Precursor artisanship when she saw it, but this was something completely different.

She traversed the second bridge with caution, and reached the end with no problems. She now stood at the rim of a large basin full of ancient stone carvings, as old as the bones of the earth, and one enormous and gnarled tree that looked even older. Its thick roots protruded above the ground and ran in all twists and turns, giving the impression that this tree was very slowly writhing its way out of the earth. Its great boughs high up bore large and majestic leaves, some of which fell and danced in the wind all around, spiralling gently to the ground and resting peacefully.

Then she saw at the foot of the tree none other than Samos, levitating on a bed of green eco and looking long and deep at the mighty trunk of the old tree. Keira quietly stepped forwards, but did not escape Samos's attention, even though she remained quiet. She came to a stop behind him and looked up at the tree with him.

"This tree is very old, Keira," he said, "And there is much that it has learned."

Keira wondered what trees could possibly know, and what they even had to share. But she was lulled into a state of suggestibility by the forest's atmosphere, and listened carefully.

Samos then turned his gaze to her. "I have some news for you, Keira. The fire over at the enemy city has burned out, and we'll be sending a large scouting team to investigate in the coming days. We may now at last find out something about those whom we have fought against for so long. It does indeed seem that we may have a time of peace within our grasp."

"Finally..." whispered Keira, "But I wish Jak were here."

"Do not worry, Keira," said Samos, "The Great Tree has spoken to me, and has said that Jak still has a vital part of his destiny to fulfil. I can feel his energy in the plants and in the earth. I know that he is out there somewhere."

Keira sat down and looked up into the tree's high canopy. The words reassured her, but thinking of Jak only saddened her. Over these last few days she had been trying to come to terms with his absence, and it had only been made worse by Azyma's disappearance.

"What about Azyma?" she asked.

"I am afraid that she has fallen into a lost darkness that not even the wisdom of the Great Tree can penetrate," said Samos with remorse, "Her fate remains uncertain. I am sorry, Keira."

Keira felt hopeless now. She can't have just vanished off the face of the planet, but that was what it felt like. There was just absolutely no trace of her. What had happened? Keira brought her knees up and rested her head against them, lost in memories of the short but enjoyable time they had spent together.

"It's just not fair!" she moaned, "Why did she have to disappear so soon? I wish there could have been more..."

Her voice trailed away as she buried her face into the fabric of her clothes. Samos placed a hand on her back.

"I know, Keira," he said understandingly, "Fate can be cruel and heartless sometimes."

"I mean..." continued Keira, "We even found her father living in Spargus. If only we'd thought of looking a few days earlier... She could be living happily right now... She could have a family again... She would still be here..."

She leaned backwards and lay flat on the grass, looking up at the slowly drifting clouds through the gaps in the leaves. Then she closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Something about the atmosphere of the forest had that effect on people, and soon she felt calmed and peaceful again. Then, the unmistakable wind-like whisper returned, and it made Keira open her eyes suddenly. Then it was gone. They had puzzled her for the past few days, and she only ever heard them in the forest. Now she thought was the time to find out what they really were, once and for all.

She sat up, and after listening quietly again for a few seconds, spoke to her father. "Daddy, I keep hearing strange whispers sometimes. It sounds like they're coming from all around, but they always disappear when I notice them."

"It's the plants," answered Samos, calmly and simply. "I heard them too."

Keira thought about what this could mean, but then she understood. Was it true?

"Daddy..." she said, "Does that mean...?"

Samos nodded. "You are beginning to understand the nature of the plants, Keira. I wondered when this day would come. You are starting to learn how to communicate with them, as I have done ever since I was younger. There is much they can tell you, if you know how to hear their voices."

Keira looked around and observed the plants and trees. "All of them?" she asked.

Samos nodded again. "It is the power of the green eco in your blood that grants you this ability. With time, it will mature and your powers will start to emerge."

"You mean... I could become like Jak?" asked Keira.

"Jak has a natural talent for channelling eco, Keira, but he cannot generate it by himself. This is a skill reserved for just you and I. As a sage of green eco, I have acquired this ability, and it shall pass on to you. The cells in your body will slowly configure themselves over time to become more receptive to green eco, and with practise, you will be able to master your control over it. It has been growing in your body ever since you were born, and has had only peripheral effects on you up till now."

Keira noticed a curl of her hair hanging in front of her eyes, and for the first time understood the significance of its dark green hue.

Samos continued. "Close your eyes, Keira, and listen carefully."

She did, and waited for a few seconds. Nothing happened.

"I can't hear it, Daddy," she said.

"Patience," spoke Samos, "You must open your mind and let your thoughts flow freely."

Keira tried again, and this time, a sound began to slowly emerge in her ears. A low vibration at first, but then it evolved into the same familiar whispers again.

"I can hear it!" she said, but kept her eyes closed and continued to listen. Subconsciously, she lowered herself down onto the grass again and lay on her back, listening to the voices grow stronger in her head. She could not understand any words, but the sounds carried more form and expression than words ever could. She felt a deep consciousness in the sounds, imbued with the knowledge and wisdom of earth and nature, and then they slowly and subtly began to change into a melodic but formless choir of ethereal chords. Quiet but harmonious singing was all she could perceive. It was nothing like she had ever heard before, and she let her mind and emotions become enveloped in the telepathic soundscape evolving in her head.

This wasn't her imagination.

This was real.

**_[Picture: "cloudy-head.""deviantart.""com/"art/Chapter-21-342953921]_**


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